Measure of a Man
by Legend Maker
Summary: To battle for what is righteous is the greatest creed of a hero. But what happens when what is truly righteous is not known? What matters more, judgment or mercy? And how can you tell if those casting the stones are truly without sin...?
1. Part 1

**_Measure of a Man_**

Writer's Note: Time for a little juggling…

This is the prelude to _Danny Phantasm_. However, first I must pinpoint exactly where in the series this begins, and how my previous story, _Danny's Inferno_, ties in and how it affects the show. Which is as follows.

Events happened in the following order.

-The entire first season of _Danny Phantom_, ending with _Control Freaks._

-_Danny's Inferno_

-Season 2 of _Danny Phantom_ up to _The Ultimate Enemy._

-_Time Phantom_ by the author Chaltab. (It's briefly mentioned so you may as well read it)

-I plan to start this story after the episode _Secret Weapons._ However, as of this writing it has not aired yet, so some changes may be done after the episode is aired. Also, I would like to note there are a few minor changes, mostly in how characters will act in Season 2 due to the storyline of _Danny's Inferno. _After _Secret Weapons_, this story will completely split from the canon DP storyline and whatever episodes air afterward and go off in a different direction. Just a heads up.

Got all that? Good. Let's start.

* * *

_The Journal of Daniel Fenton, Entry #3_

_I had really hoped I would be able to fill this suggested diary with non-important stuff. By non-important I mean 'Anything besides stuff involving my secret'. But as I have discovered, outside of my secret my life tends to be rather…nondescript. As in, boring. And one can only write "I hung out with Sam and Tuck" and "Dash tried to stuff me in my locker" so many times. So here goes. I'm the only one who knows about this file anyway, besides Tucker, and he's made sure it's well concealed. The only way any 'undesirables', and I use that term loosely, will find this diary is by sheer chance, and we're talking the sheer chance that lets people win lotteries._

_So here it goes: my secret. I'm half human and half ghost, a Halfa. I call myself Danny Phantom, and I protect my town against malevolent ghosts and spirits. My powers came about because my Dad built a portal to another realm of existence, the Ghost Zone, and I decided to take a look at it, while inside. I turned it on, and there was a great big flash and things just changed, my molecules got all rearranged…heh, catchy. There ought to be a song. In any case, my body was fused with ectoplasm, and I was granted ghost powers. How nice, right?_

_Well, it's had its moments. But there's a lot more stuff that counterbalances those moments._

_Because as soon as I got the power, it was thrust upon me the duty of wielding them. And there were a lot of reasons I needed to. Some people theorize that once a hero is 'activated', villains will automatically appear to provide 'balance', or more accurately, 'to make my life as difficult as possible.'_

_It started quickly and it didn't let up. I was hunted by a ghost hunter/collector, dealt with a master of machines, got stuck in an eternal 50's nightmare realm due to supposed misuse of my ghost powers (I still say there was more justification in that then I was given credit for), had one of my schoolmates turn amateur (though still quite troublesome, of course) ghost hunter, nearly got locked up in a ghost prison for asinine rule breaking, got my emotions screwed with by a siren with a guitar, clashed with a fear wielding knight because I wanted to win a Halloween contest (I am SO glad that Lancer showed up and kept me from eating Dash's underwear: he was it was unsanitary and plus the school couldn't handle any lawsuits), was declared Public Enemy No 1 in the Ghost Zone and turned into a pariah in my town ('Inviso-Bill'? Even today I still wince), thought the girl I liked finally liked me back and found out I was being used in a couple's spat, was manipulated by a wannabe puppetmaster with a staff and a circus, and was constantly and doggedly hounded by a ghost with an unhealthy obsession with boxes. And of course, there's Vlad Masters, aka Vlad Plasmius, my nemesis as it were, who my dad inadvertently gave the same powers I have to twenty years ago, powers of course Vlad used for himself. Despite his occasional steps into 'more goofy then a threat', when Vlad's focused he's more dangerous to me then any of my foes._

_At least, until Sizzle._

_My god, I've thought it over a thousand times, and I still can't understand how I survived, let alone won._

_All I can remember with perfect clarity is the brief flash I saw near the end, when I stripped away everything to get to the core of Sizzle's being…of a pain so dark and all consuming I'm lucky I didn't lose my mind. Like Sizzle did. The results were terrible all around…but I survived. I won, as it were, though there was no winning in my option. Sizzle was human once, and the way others treated her…it made…well, I don't like to think about it. I had no choice but to destroy her, and I hope that brought her release from her pain._

_Of course, that didn't get me any breaks._

_Oh sure, the town stopped hating me at least. They probably thought I somehow magically brought it back after Sizzle burned it to the ground (and I STILL don't know how that happened). They even gave me a little statue in my school. That was nice. Dash still bothered me and Paulina still didn't know I existed (though of course she was in love with 'Ghost-Boy', go figure), but it was nice._

_Then my best friend Sam accidentally wished away my powers and memories._

_And then a blasted bug gave all the kids in my school ghost powers. In retrospect, I'm amazed that Tucker visited me in the hospital after Sizzle, considering what I learned later. That must have taken a considerable effort. He's a good friend._

_And then an annoying brat who wanted to be a pirate but didn't want to make the effort of doing proper research nearly enslaved all the grown-ups. Oh, and I had to fight without my ghost powers, an interesting experience. Hey world, DON'T DO IT AGAIN!_

_And then things got REALLY fun, and by fun I mean 'Terrible to the point where it gave Sizzle a run for her money.' For all his intelligence at times, Vlad sure can act stupid. He seems blind to the fact my mother will never like him, and he also seems oblivious to consequences of his search for power. How else can you explain his unleashing of Pariah Dark, the King of all Ghosts?_

_I'd like to say I beat Pariah, except I really didn't. Much like Sizzle, I adapted the mindset that all I had to do was stop him, no matter the cost to myself. If it hadn't been for Vlad locking the Sarcophagus of Forever Sleep, the Ecto-Skeleton probably would have killed me. Then Vlad stole the suit, and the Crown of Fire. Annoying bastard. Plus, I think something's a bit wrong with him these days: he can't look at me without a distinguishable twitch, as if he's trying to repress something. And I doubt what I did to him after my little time-traveling adventure helped much, but that comes a little later._

_My next bright idea was to split myself in two. That created a walking cliché and a kid who could give Garfield a run for his money in the lazy category. And I was right in my theories that I can't grow my hair long: it turns into a mullet. Not that there's anything wrong with that._

_Then that annoying brat came back and used his gimmick to make people think I was nuts. I wish I'd kicked his butt harder. I think Jazz did too._

_And speaking of Jazz, she was about to play a bigger role in my life…just when I found out how bad my life could be. And to think failing the C.A.T was something I once thought was terrible. What I saw when my evil future self showed up reminded me that as a kid, I still have a lot to learn about bad stuff. Sizzle and 'myself' aside. We altered the timeline, prevented the tragedy…but I know that evil, once more, can be harder then a cockroach to stamp out. But besides that…I found out that Jazz knew my secret. It was nice to be able to bring my older sister into my confidence: she may be annoying as heck but she's a good girl._

_What isn't good is time travel. First it showed me 'myself' and then…well, sometimes I think it really happened and sometimes I think it was a dream. What happened was another dark future, where Vlad reigned supreme. A future I prevented, with the help of some friends…including some that really do make me wonder if it was a dream, a dream I may have had after eating some bad food and watching a Back to the Future marathon, hence my thoughts it might have been a dream. If it was real, most of it had faded from my memory…though I'm not sure why. Maybe its some kind of timeline correctence…is that even a word? Or maybe I just have a lousy memory. Would explain my grades. Maybe I should ask Jazz for study help now that she knows my secret._

_Not that said knowledge is great all the time, as when she tried to help out. I should have told her to stay away from Vlad. I can't believe the bastard put her in the Ecto-Skeleton. That outfit nearly killed ME. What it could have done to my human sister…well, at least we removed it from Vlad's possession. I hope. I have a bad feeling at times that he might have gone through it and made blueprints...after all, he did built his own ghost portal, repeatedly. Who says he can't build his own suit...or maybe even worse...  
_

_I have a feeling I'll have to settle things with Vlad eventually. For now though, after the Skulker and Vlad incident, things have been quiet for the past few weeks._

_Of course, my definition of quiet isn't quite the same as most people's…_

(Several hours earlier)

"AYYYYAHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" Danny Phantom screamed as he flew through the store, crashing through several racks of clothing before coming to rest in a giant heap of them. He sat up, various blouses and pants and bras and panties colorfully festooned on his sitting form.

"Let's go to the mall, nothing will happen, your random ghost attacks are down." Danny said to himself, mimicking what his friends had said earlier. "Next time I hear that, I'm locking myself in my room for the rest of the day!"

A shadow fell on Danny Phantom, and he looked up with a gulp.

"Assuming I get a next time."

The blade slashed down.

* * *

(Danny Phantom Opening)

(Commercials)

**Measure of a Man**

(with picture…if I had one. Which I don't. Use your imagination.)

("He's a phantom, a phantom…Danny Phantom, Phantom…)

* * *

The advantage of being in a big tangle of clothes: it can greatly distort where your body is. 

Hence all the blade slashed was several pieces that had been on sale (and were now quite literally 'half-off', HA, I kill me!) as Danny ducked back into the pile and struggled away for a few seconds…before he remembered he had ghost powers and just phased through the whole heap, spinning away and into the air as his attacker yanked his sword from his last slash into the clothes.

"There you are!" The ghost said. It was dressed in loose pants with sandals, and wore chest, shoulder, and ankle armor, as well as a full set of armor on his left arm, an armored 'skirt', and a helmet with a large, thin, crescent moon shape attached to the front, a long 'tower' of armor jutting from the helmet behind it, all of it colored in the usual muted greens and whites of ghosts, a long ponytail of tightly tied green hair trailing behind the ghost as it looked at Danny with a determined expression. The ghost wielded a long katana: he was clearly the spirit of or a manifestation of a samurai, which Danny had deduced within two seconds when he had popped out during his mall sojourn and tried to carve Danny into sashimi. Also, he could kick too, hence Danny's trip through the clothing store.

"Yeah, and here's something else!" Danny yelled, and fired an ectoplasmic blast from one hand.

The samurai deflected it off his blade, the blast crashing into the ceiling.

"Right, of course." Danny said to himself in dull annoyance.

"You seem willing to engage in long range combat: let us see how well you survive the range of a warrior!" The samurai yelled, flying at Danny, who yelled and went into a dodging frenzy across the store. He finally caught the samurai ghost in the face with his own kick and knocked him to the ground, flying down to his level as the samurai ghost got up…and then Tucker and Sam ran into the store. Of course, no sense ever making any of Danny's battles easier by not putting themselves in the line of fire.

"Your strike is impressive, if not painfully amateurish." The samurai ghost said as he wiped at his face.

"Uh, thanks." Danny said.

"Danny! Don't pursue Lu Bu!" Tucker yelled.

Silence, as Danny and the samurai ghost looked at him oddly. Sam smacked her hand into her face.

"Lu Bu is CHINESE Tucker. Samurais are JAPANESE." Sam chided.

"Yeah, and I doubt his name is Lu Bu. What is your name anyway?" Danny asked the samurai ghost.

"Minamoto Ieyasu!"

"…I'm going to call you Tom, ok?" Danny asked.

"Enough talk! Stand and fight or perish!" Minamoto declared, leaping at Danny, his blade slashing once more. Danny once again went into a dodging fit before he threw up a shield to stop Minamoto's blade and put some distance between him and the samurai.

"Danny! Why don't you just go intangible?" Tucker called, as Minamoto slashed his way through the disintegrating shield.

"Hide from the strikes of a fellow opponent? Avoid, counter, deflect, yes, but only a coward hides!" Minamoto said. "And even if this child dares to meet me with spinelessness, my blade is enchanted to cut through ALL aspects of reality! He cannot hide from me even if he chooses to!"

"Actually I was going to say I forgot, but thanks for the heads up." Danny said.

"It is no trouble! I do hate for a foe to die embarrassed!" Minamoto said, as he lanced towards Danny again. Danny formed another shield…and found the blade slashing through it, as Minamoto spun with the blow and thrust out with his foot, sending Danny crashing through another wall. He bounced off the floor and pushed himself up and back into the air as Minamoto phased through the wall after him. Danny glanced around: he was in a sporting goods store.

"All right samurai! Allow me to show you my country's favorite 'combat sport'!" Danny said, as he snatched up a wooden baseball bat and swung it at the samurai

Minamoto cut through it with one slash like it was made of butter.

"Of course. Shoulda gone with the bunt." Danny said, dropping the bat and spinning away from another slash. He flew over and grabbed a hockey stick, and then thrust it up to block Minamoto's downward slash. It held, amazingly.

"Hey! Penalty! Two minutes for slashing!" Danny said, as he twisted the hockey stick free and slipped the end around Minamoto's ankle. "Two minutes for hooking!" Danny added as he tripped the samurai, causing him to fall to the ground. "And hey, why not, two minutes for high sticking!" Danny said, as he tried to hit Minamoto in the chest while he was down.

The samurai rolled out of the way, and the hockey stick, already damaged by the samurai's previous slash, broke in half when it struck the ground.

"I find it disconcerting that Canada's national sport held out better then ours." Danny said, looking at the broken stick.

"You can muse if you survive child!" Minamoto said, as he attacked again. Danny yelped and tried to use the remaining part of the hockey stick as a makeshift wooden sword, and actually managed to parry several of Minamoto's slashes with it.

"So, you do know how to use a blade!" Minamoto said, as Danny parried another slash.

"No, just trying to stay alive!"

"This is natural then? You have potential! Let us see if you can tap it well enough to keep me from cutting you down!" Minamoto said, as he finally managed to dig his blade into the chipped hockey stick and yank it from Danny's hands. Danny flew backwards, hunting for another weapon.

His next choice was a golf club that he yanked from a bag of them.

"Shall I yell a certain word that sounds like a number? Nah, not gonna go there." Danny said, as Minamoto slashed.

The impact from the blade rang all the way down Danny's arms and shoulders, and while it wasn't painful it was unpleasant enough for Danny to drop the club.

"Shoulda used a nine iron." Danny said, and dodged away again, as he grabbed for the nearest wall, coming back with a…

"Cricket bat?" Danny said, looking at the flat paddle like piece of wood.

Minamoto's sword inflicted the same fate as the regular bat on it.

"Never understood that sport anyway!" Danny said as he flew away once more, Minamoto in hot pursuit.

Then a soccer ball slammed into his face. The samurai staggered back.

"What strangeness is this?" He asked.

"GOAL!" Danny yelled, and kicked another ball into the face of the samurai. The ghost retreated once more…but only a little. The next ball was sliced in half with his sword, and the next, and the last.

"Interesting! But innovation on a battlefield does not always lead to survival!" Minamoto said as he came in slashing once more, as Danny retreated and grabbed up…a tennis racket?

"Ah, where's Agassi when you need him?" Danny said, as Minamoto stabbed the blade at Danny.

Danny dodged to the side as he held up the racket, and the blade sliced through the tightly tied wires. Seized by inspiration, Danny twisted the racket around, twisting the blade in turn and loosening Minamoto's grip on it…as he seized the end of the sword with one hand.

"GO GHOST STINGER!"

"AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" Minamoto yelled as the ghost power surged through his blade and slammed into him, throwing him backwards as he lost his grip on it. He flew out of the store and crashed into a vendor's cart, causing it to disintegrate into a shower of knick-knacks.

Yanking the sword free, Danny flew out of the store himself, as Tucker and Sam ran up to him.

"Thermos." Danny said.

"Ahhhhhhh…small problem with that Danny." Tucker replied.

"What kind of problem?"

"Small problem."

"Small as in the thermos is dirty or small as in it's not here at all?"

"…The latter."

"Oh great." Danny said, as Minamoto emerged from the wreckage of the cart. He looked at Danny for a second, and then dropped to his knees.

"You have taken my weapon. I have lost. I submit myself to your hand." Minamoto said.

"…You want me to kill you." Danny said.

"You have bested me."

"You're already dead."

"It does not matter! Do not dishonor me with weakness! Follow the code of the Bushido and strike me down!" Minamoto said.

"Ok…" Danny said, as he tried to think it over.

"What are you waiting for?" Minamoto said.

"How about we pick Door Number 3?" Danny said, as he turned the sword around and tossed it back to Minamoto. The samurai looked stunned.

"How about this? We keep going. The only condition is we leave these grounds. They are not suited for battle." Danny said. "Then we can really see who is the best. Do we have an agreement?"

"…They are strange terms, but I accept!" Minamoto said, as he picked his sword up off the ground.

"You guys go to my house, get the Thermos, and then we can settle this." Danny said to his friends.

"How are we going to find you?"

"I'm going to try and lure him to my house."

"What if that doesn't work?"

"Tucker, are you going to help or just stand around and point out tactical flaws?"

"…Going!" Tucker said, running off.

"Be careful Danny!" Sam said as she ran off with him.

"You lack arms still. And you have been fortunate so far. Do you really insist on fighting with no blade?" Minamoto asked.

"I have no blade." Danny replied, as he glanced around. His eyes fell on the store next to the sporting goods one: a plumbing store. And the exhibit at the front of it. "But sometimes…" He continued, as he walked over. "When the stars line up right…"

Danny selected one of the pipes, long and thin.

"I can actually think on my feet." Danny said, presenting the pipe as his sword. He'd find out if he had any idea what he was thinking in a second.

"Let us see if that allows you to keep your head!" Minamoto replied, as he flew at Danny. Danny flew straight up, phasing through the roof of the mall, Minamoto following him as they took the battle to the air.

Danny's first realization that he wasn't as clever as he thought was when the weapons clashed together and Minamoto's katana slid down Danny's pipe and nearly sliced off his fingers. He yelped and flew back, as Minamoto followed, attacking aggressively. Danny did his best to fend off the blows, but the pipe remained too smooth and proved to be almost as much as a hazard as Minamoto's own weapon.

Until Danny, in frustration, bent it a bit.

The next strike caught in the notch, and didn't slide down. Danny blinked, and then shoved the blade away. Well, that was a bit better.

Now all Danny had to do was survive against a master swordsman when Danny was making up his combat technique as he went along.

* * *

Paulina was doing something she rarely did: biting her tongue. 

"Uncle Josh…" She said, trying to sound nice, trying not to let her annoyance and mild disgust slip out through her voice, something she would never think to do in her usual human interactions, considering how she treated her peers…but this wasn't a peer of hers. This was her mother's brother.

"Yeah P?" The man replied. He was in his early forties, and despite a deep tan, he was clearly Caucasian. Something that some people might have found strange if they didn't know the back story. Paulina's grandparents on her mother's side has been a Hispanic/Caucasian couple: Paulina's mother had been born with the Hispanic features and her brother, Joshua, had been born Caucasian. The two siblings were different in other ways too: Paulina's mother was a social climber (hence why she'd met and married her dad), while Joshua fancied himself a modern day cowboy (though that had calmed down as he got older: he no longer wore a hat everywhere like he had when he was younger, though he still thought that jeans, a casual shirt, and leather boots fit any situation, whether it was a day at work or a wedding, and was also what he was wearing now), and had spent most of his life working on ranches, farms, and in rodeos. When Paulina had been young, and her father and mother had been working their rears off in their respective ways to provide for her (which they now did so in grand fashion, the result of many years' work paying off), Joshua had moved in and served as her babysitter, looking after Paulina, taking her places, and so on. But when her parents' duties had lessened when Paulina was about 11 or so, Joshua had seen he was becoming a third wheel and headed back to the Western states. He'd started up his own ranch, and hence hadn't been seen by Paulina and her parents for several years. Now, on a long overdue vacation, he'd headed back up to see his sister and his favorite niece.

And while Paulina had been glad to see him, she'd changed a lot in those past several years. She'd hoped that her uncle had realized that.

He hadn't, or so it seemed.

"…Why did you bring me here?" Paulina finally said.

Here was an outdoor firing range on the outskirts of Amity Park, where various men (all men: Paulina was the only woman) practiced shooting with various firearms. The only reason Paulina could talk normally was because there had been a lull in the number of men who were shooting.

"You used to love coming here P."

"That was when I was seven! And stop calling me P." Paulina said. Her uncle got a serious look on his face, not mad but not exactly happy either.

"I see." Her uncle said, as he leaned against a table that held various equipment: guns, ammo, earmuffs, and so on.

Paulina instantly felt bad…but she knew she had to put her foot down as well. She wasn't the little girl her uncle had taken here years ago.

"Uncle Josh…I don't want you to think I don't appreciate the time we spent here…but well…that's just…not what I do any more…"

"You were a damn good shot." Joshua replied, glancing absent-mindedly at the targets in the distance. "Even for your age. And you liked doing it. I remember that."

"Well yes but…Uncle Josh, I don't do that any more."

"Right. I know. You're a young woman. Your thoughts are probably on clothing and makeup and boys, maybe a career? Lot of you seem to be thinking of that at this age these days." Joshua said. "Ah…just forgive this old man then P…Paulina. I was just thinking of older days. I guess they're gone."

"…I guess." Paulina said.

"Well…do one thing for your poor uncle, will you?" Joshua said as he pushed off the table. "Just shoot off a round or two."

"Uncle Josh…"

"Just humor this old cowpoke, will you? Just a bullet or two. Then we can do whatever you want. Who knows, you might find you still like it." Joshua said.

"…Ok, ok. I suppose it wouldn't hurt." Paulina said, though she figured the odds of finding she still liked shooting guns were pretty small. She was a lady now, not a little kid who thought falling on her rear after shooting a pistol was the most fun thing since the hula-hoop.

"Better put on some earmuffs: looks like a new batch is coming in." Joshua said as he looked around. Paulina did so: she hadn't liked the loud noises of gunfire when she was a child and she sure didn't like it now. She looked over the selection of guns and picked the smallest one she could.

Other men had started shooting around her, and she was all too aware of the stares she was attracting…some less then pleasant. She shuddered inwardly: one shot. That was it. Then she would be able to get out of here.

* * *

Danny's plan had backfired. 

At least in regards to the part about luring Minamoto to his house.

He should have expected that after Danny had gotten his sword away from him and then given it back, Minamoto would do everything in his power to prevent it from happening again. Hence, his refined fighting style had drastically increased in aggressiveness, and Danny had found himself unable to do anything except retreat and defend himself, going anywhere but Fenton Works. And if he didn't think of something soon, he was going to be known as the Fulla instead of the Halfa.

At least no one could see them any more. After a few panicked citizens had fled screaming after seeing a mid air ghost sword duel, Danny had convinced Minamoto to turn invisible so that 'they would not be interrupted'. He had a feeling that saying 'Quit scaring the townspeople' wouldn't work. Though in retrospect maybe he should have said 'Ok I give, quit trying to cut me into pieces.'

Too late now. He needed a plan.

The first thing he decided to do was head back to the ground. There were too many options in the air, and despite his practice in air combat Danny found that engaging in a sword fight in it when one had no real experience in such a thing afforded his opponent too much of an advantage. On the ground, Danny would have a set idea of which way was up…which might help. Or not. But the air wasn't working for him.

He dodged away from the latest sword slash, and then zipped down to the ground…and looked around. He was on a small plain, where people were gathered on one end and there were…targets on the other end. What was this?

"Do not flee! It is not honor…" Minamoto said as he flew down to attack Danny anew.

The gunshot sounded like a thunderbolt, and it made both the combatants jump.

"What devilry is this?" Minamoto said as he looked around, and Danny realized that he and Minamoto had landed on a firing range. There was the old Fenton luck holding true to form.

"We've picked a bad area! We must go elsewhere!"

"Are those rifles?" Minamoto said, turning to face the clustered shooters. "Aragghhh. Accursed dogs and their firing sticks! Thinking the ability to kill from a distance grants them a higher degree of skill then that of a sword! It poisons the art of war, denotes skill in favor of numbers, I despise such men…"

A light blast of ecto-energy hit Minamoto on the back of his shoulder, and his head snapped around.

"Then they're not worth your time! Your fight is with me!" Danny said, and brandished his pipe in a way that he hoped looked good (but knowing his luck he probably looked like a lesser skilled Steven Seagal, if that was possible).

Minamoto chuckled.

"You may lack experience, but your valor is clear! Perhaps you truly are an opponent worthy of my best!" Minamoto said, as he turned and swung his sword back.

_He STILL hasn't fully cut loose? Oh great!_ Danny thought, and then Minamoto was on him again, slashing furiously, as Danny tried to keep himself alive.

"You continue to claim amateur status in swordsmanship?" Minamoto said when Danny once again managed to fend off all his sword strikes.

"Swordsmanship yes, but I'm a master of saving my own skin!" Danny said, and then Minamoto attacked again.

* * *

"ARGH! OW! OWOWOW!" Paulina yelped as she dropped her gun and hunched down, holding her aching hand. The entire firing range had stopped shooting to watch the teenager (hence letting Danny and Minamoto to fly down without noticing anything was wrong), and upon her reaction they all burst out laughing. Everyone except her uncle, who walked up to see if she was ok. 

"You all right?" He asked.

"Hurts…"

"Even small guns have recoil. Your wrists forgot what it was like. Relax, it'll fade quickly." Joshua said, even as the men around the two continued to snicker and comment.

"What are you doing man?" The closest one, a particularly seedy looking fellow, said. "Trying to make the bitch remember her place in the kitchen?"

Paulina would have burned with humiliation if her uncle had given her a chance: she never did see where he produced the revolver as he snapped it out and aimed it at the man…or more specifically, his crotch.

"That BITCH is my NIECE, and you better apologize to her right now or you're going to be VERY sorry for the rest of your already sorry LIFE." Joshua said in a low, dangerous voice, and cocked the hammer back.

"AHHHHHHHH! SORRY! SORRY! GOOD GOD AHHHHHH!" The man screamed, exposed as a coward as the types usually were, as he stumbled backwards, fell down, and then scrambled off. Joshua uncocked the hammer and sheathed the gun.

"I'm sorry about that. The clientele seemed a better sort when you were younger. Maybe the fact that you're not so young any more encouraged them. You were right: we'd better leave." Joshua said as he tried to help Paulina up.

Paulina chose to stand up herself, her humiliation starting to dissolve into anger. Despite her uncle's little display, they were still laughing at her, mocking her. If this was her school, Paulina knew the kind of unholy wrath she could unleash…but this wasn't school. Her technique was useless here.

But she had another option.

"You know Uncle Josh, you're right." Paulina said in a deliberately loud voice to draw as much attention as possible as she walked over to the table of guns. "I've grown up and grown out of doing this with you, and I admit I don't much like spending an afternoon shooting off guns even if I was good at it…"

* * *

Danny grunted as he blocked another blow: his fingers were starting to grow numb and he was getting pretty tired. He wasn't going to win a swordfight: Minamoto kept pushing him back: his back was almost pushed up against the nearest target.

* * *

Paulina snatched up another gun, this one a revolver like her uncle had drawn, and walked back to the standing area. 

"You know what I like even less?" Paulina said. "Being laughed at."

And Paulina snapped up her arms and fired off all six shots in one quick, efficient spray.

* * *

Danny heard the shots, though he couldn't see them. 

"AH LOOK OUT!"

* * *

Paulina lowered the smoking gun, her eyes have settled into a state she had long thought lost to her. But to her, it appeared to be like riding a bicycle. 

"So make sure you consider that." Paulina said as she dropped the gun on the ground. "We can go now Uncle Josh."

Later, the target would be brought in to reveal six tightly packed shots in the middle of the target Paulina had fired at. Her uncle hadn't been lying: she had been good at it, as strange as it sounded. And nothing stirred reflexive memory then a desire to put people in their place.

And much to her Uncle Josh's surprise, Paulina managed to keep a stone face until they were out of sight, at which point her façade collapsed.

"Ow ow ow ow ow…" Paulina whimpered, her hands throbbing with pain. Maybe she had remembered how to shoot, but her hands hadn't been properly re-trained, and as a result the considerably more powerful recoil had cramped up her muscles pretty bad.

"Come on. I have some ice in the car. It'll pass. Then we can go for ice cream." Joshua said.

"Ice cream would be good." Paulina said, constantly wincing. The things she did to show people up…which made her think. Being laughed at hadn't been much fun: heck it had motivated her to fire off a gun like she was Annie Oakley. Yet she was always poking fun at people in her school. Maybe she should reconsider her actions…

…Nah.

* * *

Danny blinked open his eyes, and looked down at the six concentrated shots that his ghostly form had coiled around, the body having barely avoided the shots. It was all he could do after he shoved Minamoto out of the way. He reformed his body and checked for extra holes. None. 

And then his pipe was knocked out of his hand before he realized what had happened. And no sooner had he realized that than Minamoto's sword was at his throat.

"…I don't suppose we could just play mah-jongg or something." Danny said. If Sam had been there she would have pointed out mah-jongg was Chinese too.

"Your breed destroyed my way. You adopted firearms and chose tactics of mass slaughter and destruction over honorable combat. A warrior no longer belongs, only a tool to pull a trigger, thinking their ability to deal death by swift distance means they are a superior combatant." Minamoto said.

"…Sorry?" Danny said.

"…No need."

Minamoto withdrew the sword and sheathed it.

"You understand the old way. You were willing to engage in it despite how disadvantageous to you it would be. Despite your lack of experience and skill you survived on a great natural talent I have not seen in centuries. You have honor. For that, I will spare you."

"Uh…thanks." Danny said, a bit stunned by the turnaround.

"This time. I expect better from you next time! Because I will return, and then, we shall TRULY see who is the better!" Minamoto said, and then he was gone, flying off into the sky.

"…Well uh…see you Tom. Great. As if my life wasn't complicated enough." Danny said.

Then the men on the range started shooting again.

"ACK ACK BULLETS! BAD, BAD!" Danny yelped as he flew off.

Paulina would never know how close she came to filling her precious 'Ghost-Boy' with holes.

* * *

_So that was my excitement for the day: a duel with a samurai ghost. I suppose it's good to know I seem to have a natural talent for swordsmanship, though I don't know what I'm going to do if Tom comes back. Hey mom, can I have a katana for Christmas? Oh no, I just want to admire it! And I doubt the Plumber's style of Swordplay is going to catch on any time soon._

_I say that was my excitement for the day, but that's not entirely the case. I mentioned my time travel adventure before (See Time Phantom by the author Chaltab, in case you forgot). Well, if you recall, Valerie Gray and I recently did a little teaming up before around the Pariah Dark incident. The result was Valerie ended up hating my ghost form and…well I'm not sure about the real me._

_And in the time travel incident, she found out we were one and the same._

_Bad, right?_

_Well now, that's the weird thing. I expected some kind of counter attack. Then again, I expected to remember the incident clearly. That clear memory lasted approximately one night: when I woke up the memories had become foggy as heck. I don't know WHY this happened: like I said, it may be some kind of time line correctence (I checked the dictionary, that's not a word, but then again neither was the phrase 'wardrobe malfunction' one before the 2004 Super Bowl, so cut me some slack). So maybe if it happened to me, it happened to everyone else involved in it._

_Because that's the only way that explains what happened afterward. I hadn't seen Valerie since that incident (including at school, considering I was trying to avoid her), so I must admit that what happened wasn't what I was expecting…

* * *

_

Sighing, Valerie Gray ducked into the woman's restroom to change out of her ghost hunter outfit. She'd heard that the Ghost Boy was there, but by the time she got there he was gone. And she didn't want to fly around in case word got back to her father: he thought she had given up ghost hunting at his insistence. She sighed: sometimes she felt rotten taking advantage of the fact he was starting to get back on his feet and hence had little time for her, which allowed her to sneak around like this. He'd confiscated her ghost equipment, but it hadn't taken long for a nice new package of gear to show up in her locker (Vlad, she assumed. He sure was helpful in the supplies department) at school. And Valerie hadn't waited a long time to start using it. Despite her father's opinions on her choice, Valerie knew there were bad ghosts out there. Sizzle and Pariah Dark had taught her that. She couldn't just let them go around doing bad stuff, not when she could do something. And while she knew Danny Phantom wasn't bad any more, that didn't mean she'd cut him any slack for the mess he'd made of her life. She was in charge of it, and he didn't have a right to cut her out of the action because he thought her life was in danger. That was her choice, not his.)

Back in her normal clothes, Valerie tucked all her gear into the specialized backpack (gear that could become very compact and hence easily cartable, gotta love it) and left the bathroom. Maybe she'd do a little window shopping and reminiscing of her old life before she left. No harm remembering it, she wasn't going to be returning to it, even if her father got back in business. She'd learned a few things about people. Take Danny Fenton. In the old days she'd considered him a loser. Now…

Much to her surprise, Valerie found himself flushing a bit.

"…Where did that come from?" Valerie thought out loud, and then shrugged and walked on.

* * *

Danny snuck back down into the mall through a bathroom himself. He hadn't found Sam and Tucker at his house, much to his surprise, and several passes over Amity Park hadn't turned them up. And Danny didn't have his cell phone on him. In the end, Danny headed back to the Amity Park Mall, deciding that was as good a place as any to use a phone. Or maybe they'd go back there. Or something. In any case, Danny ducked into a bathroom, transformed back into his human self, and quickly left the bathroom before anyone who might be inside could question the sudden flash of light. 

Back in normal form, Danny felt pretty good. The battle with Mitsubishi or whatever his name had been had been long but relatively injury-free. Putting his hands in his pockets, Danny started strolling around, hunting for a phone.

* * *

And it was during that stroll that Valerie spotted him. 

"Huh. Speak of the devil." Valerie thought out loud again. She looked around for Danny's friends, and was a bit surprised to find him alone. Usually Tucker and Sam were attached to him at the hip.

…Maybe it was a good thing they weren't around.

Valerie's eyes flicked upwards, as a ghost of a memory popped up. There was something different about the way she perceived Danny today…but exactly WHAT it was, she couldn't place.

Except…

Valerie blinked, and thought of Sam, Danny's usual lady friend. She knew there was something there…but sometimes spark wouldn't light a fire. And she'd told Sam, in her own words.

_"Because if you don't, SOMEBODY will."_

…And as far as she could tell, no move had been made.

So…why not?

* * *

"Hey Danny." 

"AHHHHHH!" Danny yelped, as Valerie suddenly appeared in front of him.

"A tad high strung, aren't we?" Valerie said, and smiled slightly, putting just the faintest hint of sultry in the expression.

"Uh…Val! Hi! It's…been a bit!" Danny said, as he tried to figure out what was going on, or more precisely, how Valerie was going to attack him. She had been pretty mad when he'd yanked off her mask after all.

"Yeah it has. Little too long for my taste. Where you been Danny?" Valerie asked.

"Uh…around!"

"Fair enough. Where are your friends?"

"Uh…around! Well, another around! Not this around! Because if they were this around they'd be here instead of around, ha ha ha ha ha!" Danny said. He wondered why the hell he was this nervous: sure he thought that Valerie might be after him but after Sizzle that really shouldn't have worried him too much. Heck, the worst she could do was smack him around some. Not that Danny wanted to be smacked around.

"I see. You doing anything?"

"Well uh…just…walking! Around! Yes, around! Using up my daily supply of round, yes I am!" Danny stammered. Valerie found his nervousness charming.

"Well if you're not doing anything, want to go get a coffee?"

"A coffee? With you?" Danny said.

"No, with the Shah of Iran. Of course me."

"Y-y-you mean like a-a date?"

"…Well, I wasn't going to put it that way, but since you introduced the term, sure, a date." Valerie said, and gave Danny that smile again.

"Well uh-uh Valerie not that uh but you see uh…I must say uh…"

"Oh geez Danny, it's just coffee. Come on. I won't bite." Valerie said, as she looped her arms around one of Danny's and walked off with him, dragging him a bit. She had a feeling Danny just needed a little prodding in this situation, and eventually he'd do what came naturally.

And as she expected, he did.

* * *

_I won't lie: for the first 45 minutes of that coffee I kept a laser lense like eye on Valerie, as I expected her to slip something into my coffee or prop a gun under the table and do a "Greedo sure as hell didn't shoot first" moment. I think she interpreted my alertness as interest._

_And the thing is…it wasn't exactly a false interpretation. Because…I was interested. And as my paranoia faded, my interest grew._

_We sat and talked for 2 ½ hours, just about stuff. In reality it was kind of funny how we danced around not revealing any secrets. I know she's a ghost hunter, and she…well I THINK she knows I'm a Halfa. I think. I'm really confused on that issue now._

_As well as a few other things._

_Sam…I don't know what's with Sam. I know she's my good, dear friend. But beyond that…it just gets so complicated that I can't make heads or tails of it. With Valerie…things just seem simpler._

_That's probably why I had my official first date with her._

_Now…if I could only find a way to explain that to Sam…

* * *

_

And Sam, on one hand, probably would have liked an explanation.

Considering she found Danny and Valerie in the midst of said date.

She'd known Danny and Tucker a long time: they could almost predict how the others would think. After finding no sign of Danny around Fenton Works (bad traffic had delayed them, and by the time they'd got there and got the Thermos Danny was already finishing his fight with Minamoto up: they'd hung around for a bit, but eventually gotten restless and then gone looking around the town, which caused Danny to miss them again) and around Amity Park, Tucker had suggested going back to the mall. Sam had planned to make the suggestion herself if Tucker hadn't (he'd beaten her by about seven minutes), and so they'd headed back to the mall.

And instead of finding Danny locked in mortal struggle…she'd found him having coffee. With Valerie.

"Wh-wh-wh-what? What the heck just happened?" Sam said: she was some distance away and hence Valerie and Danny didn't see or hear her.

"I must admit, of the possible situations I expected this was probably near the bottom of my list…" Tucker commented, before Sam yanked him behind a large plant.

"Why is he having coffee with her? Doesn't she know his secret? Doesn't she have a grudge against Danny's ghost half?" Sam almost hissed, much to Tucker and her surprise. _Get a grip girl._

"Maybe they're making a truce?" Tucker suggested.

Sam peered out from behind the plant. Danny and Valerie were laughing. Tucker also glanced out before Sam yanked him back.

"That is not truce-like behavior! There is certain ways of acting in forming a truce! There isn't a trace of truce in the whole thing! So what is going on!"

"…Sam do you want me to be honest?"

"Please!"

"You may not like it."

"Tucker, the day you start lying to me about serious matters is the day I don't know you any more."

"Well…sorry Sam. Val said make a move. You didn't, so it looks like she did."

"But…but Danny's…I mean…!"

"Sam, I know. I'm a best friend to both of you. But Sam…nothing's certain in this life. I was there before Danny went off to fight Pariah Dark too. I saw what happened, and it wasn't just because Dark had a bad sense of timing. And I guess that what happened…well, she stepped in Sam."

Sam stared.

"You going to be ok Sam?"

"Why would you ask that! Of course! I'm not some silly bimbo who needs a man to define her! I'm perfectly fine! Fine!" Sam snapped.

Tucker didn't say anything: he just pulled a tape recorder from his pocket, rewound it, and played it back. Sam's eyes went wide as she heard her snarling, angry tone.

"…Oh Tucker. I'm sorry. You don't deserve to be spoken to that way."

"Extenuating circumstances." Tucker said as he tucked the recorder back into a pocket. "Now Sam…far be it for me to give relationship advice. I've not exactly scored a lot of success there myself, if truth be told. But this isn't the end of the world. Despite what you feel."

"Well…yes you're right…but…Danny…" Sam said, glancing around the plant again, a whirl of emotions flowing through her. She didn't know what she was feeling. Was she jealous? Angry? Feeling betrayed, even though there really wasn't a basis for it? Was she upset? Maybe offended? Perhaps a little of all of them?

"…I need to think this over." Sam said, turning and walking away.

"Whoa Sam wait up!"

"Really Tucker, I need to give this some thought."

"And I'm going to come along until I make sure this is going to be thought and not bitter navel gazing. Because 1, you're above that Sam, and 2, it doesn't help anyone."

"…Thanks Tuck."

"No problem! And if worse comes to worse, maybe I can get somewhere on the rebound!"

Sam stomped on Tucker's foot.

"OW! OW! I was joking!" Tucker said, hopping around. Despite herself, Sam smiled a little.

"I know. But you still deserved that."

That incident happened after Sam and Tucker had put some distance between themselves and the coffee shop. Danny never knew they were there.

* * *

"Well I better be getting home. My dad's uh, been stricter then usual lately." Valerie said. 

"Oh really? Ok." Danny said, knowing the translation was "My dad's still ticked at the whole ghost hunter thing". "Well it was nice to…what are you doing?" Danny said, as Valerie began writing something.

"Giving you my number." Valerie said, as she handed him the paper. Danny found himself flushing, despite his best efforts.

"Your number? Is that needed, ha ha? I mean, you're in the phone book, right?"

"My PRIVATE number." Valerie said. Danny found himself suddenly sweating.

"Well uh…I uh…"

"Danny, I had fun. So did you. So just call me. Don't make every molehill into a mountain. Life's too short for that." Valerie said as she got up. "See you later Danny."

And off she went.

Danny watched her go, still not sure what to make of the whole thing.

* * *

_And I'm still not sure._

_Is this some elaborate revenge scheme? Is Valerie even capable of those? Has she forgotten I'm the Halfa? Perhaps because of time travel muckiness to the human brain? Does she really like me for me?_

_…I still don't know._

_Even in regards to how I feel._

_I could say I plan to call her. I could say I'm doing so because I'm following the 'Keep your friends close and your enemies closer' mindset. I could say it's better to see her coming then be surprised._

_But the truth is…I want to call her. Just to talk._

_Just for normal teenage reasons._

_I think my experiences have given me a bit more perspective then the average teen of what's going on here…I have some thoughts. Some terrify me…and some make me feel like I'm on top of the world._

_As for Sam…I'm going to see where this goes. There's too much between us to try and hide it. I owe her that._

_As for Valerie, well._

_She wears a nice perfume._

_I never noticed that._

_I think that says it all._

_I'm done for now._

_Daniel Fenton out.

* * *

_

"YOU DID WHAT?" Vlad Plasmius bellowed from where he sat on his throne. "YOU HAD HIM AT YOUR MERCY AND YOU LET HIM GO?"

"He fought well, with skill and honor. Honor I increasingly realize you have none of." Minamoto said as he stood up from his kneel. "I performed this task because of what you claim to be. But even if it is true, I will not follow someone who does not understand the way of Bushido. I will have my own dealings with the child now, with none of your input. Do not call on me again." Minamoto said.

Vlad's blast of power came too quickly even for the samurai to react, but his eyes showed no fear as he saw it coming. Only naked contempt.

And then there was nothing left but a smoking scorch mark on the floor.

Vlad remained standing, angry noises coming from between his clenched teeth, as the figure stepped out of the shadows where he had observed. Darkness still shrouded him, leaving him nothing but a vague shape.

"It is never wise to destroy your own subordinates in such a nakedly aggressive way." The figure said.

"I didn't destroy him. I just scattered his essence. He'll pull himself together after a very long and painful experience. Then he'll have learned the folly of defying the Primmortal." Vlad snarled, sitting down again. "Had him and let him go because he fought well? What kind of an idiot was he?"

"One with a code. That is the disadvantages of using their kind." The figure said. Vlad looked at him.

"I brought you here for a reason. Well, the reason is now necessary. I want the boy destroyed!"

"Patience, Plasmius."

"PATIENCE HELL I WANT HIM DEAD!"

"Your ways will fail."

"WHY YOU…"

"Go ahead and attempt the same tactics you used on the samurai. I ASSURE you, they will not be as effective." The figure said. Vlad snarled to himself again, and then leaned back.

"What do you have planned?"

"You seek to punish the boy. I understand punishment. I will do as you ask. But you will have to wait."

"How long?"

"As long as necessary. It should not be too long though. After all, he is just a child."

"That child attempts to steal my destiny!"

"So I will show him the error of his ways." The figure said. "You seek judgment? Then judgment he will find."

"What kind of judgment?"

"The gravest kind." The figure said, and explained his plan.

"…I like it! Judgment! And he'll never realize just who is blind in the end! HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!" Vlad said, as he went into a typical mad villain laugh.

The figure just stared. The hybrid's mind was slowly unraveling, this he knew, but that didn't concern him. Just what needed to be done, as he turned and headed back into the shadows.

Soon.

_To Be Continued_


	2. Part 2

Part 2

The Journal of Daniel Fenton, Entry # 5

_Part of me writes this because actually seeing it down on the screen helps convince me it's actually happening._

_I have mentioned Valerie Gray in the past. She went to my school, and was a popular wealthy kid turned ghost hunter thanks to bad circumstances and my old friend Vlad's interference. She went from hating me to grudgingly respecting me back to hating me again when I revealed her identity to her father to keep her safe from Pariah Dark. So to speak. Valerie hates my ghost half._

_She likes the normal me._

_In fact, though I blush to write this, I think she really likes the normal me._

_And therein lie a few problems._

_Because she found out about my secret several weeks ago due to my aforementioned time travel adventure. A secret she seems to have somehow completely and utterly forgotten!_

_My grades may not be all that great, but I know when something's not quite right. Considering her grudge against my ghost half, and how outside of an ill-considered happening with the Fenton Ghost Catcher we're one and the same, you would think one of two possibilities._

_One, she's setting me up._

_Two, she has indeed somehow forgotten about me having ghost powers._

_As silly as it sounds, I want to give it to the latter. True, my excuse of 'Maybe the time travel correctence (there's my word again! I need to take out a patent) screwed up and/or erased her memories' sound lame, you forget that I live in a world where I'm not only half ghost, I have an evil older alternate version of me and have had a somewhat well known for being incredibly impenitent super hero apologize to me. Compared to that, time traveling memory muckery sounds downright plausible._

_And also because…the latter hurts less. Far less. Because if it is the former, it means that all that Valerie and I have done far has been a set-up for something._

_And I like her._

_I really do._

_I've mentioned Sam before. What we have beyond the friendship…I still can't make sense of it. With Valerie, it's simple. I like her as a friend…and as a girl._

_I did call her, the next day. We talked. Called her the next day. We talked again._

_She asked me on another date on the third call. I hemmed and hawed a bit…but I accepted. We went to see a movie. We have similar tastes in film. We had another coffee afterward. She caught a cab home. Very casual._

_Until I got back home and she called me. And I realized how nice it was to hear from her._

_And before I knew it, we were dating steadily._

_So to speak. It's only been three weeks, so far be it from me to be able to tell what this is…but I like it. I like Valerie, and I like the fact that she likes me._

_And if she's just doing this for revenge…hell, I understand the fact. I've seen the nastier side of her personality, back during the bag of flour incident with Skulker. But people can change. So can their interactions. But the possibility that's nothing's changed, possibly even more then the execution, hurts._

_And something else hurts too: I have to tell Sam. I respect her too much not to. I can't remember the time when I didn't have her in my life, and despite what's happening here, I still consider her my dear friend. And I know she does too._

_I'm still afraid this will change something, something in that damnable mass that keeps swirling beyond where Sam and I stand. But my mind is made up. If I could stare down a lunatic fire spirit who wanted nothing me then to send me screaming into the abyss, I can tell Sam and Tucker I'm dating Valerie…_

_Even if doing say may be just as hard.

* * *

_

"…You're going out." Sam said. She had been expecting this for nearly ten days: she could read the fact that Danny was looking for a way to tell her something he didn't know she already knew. But now, in the Nasty Burger, Danny had finally sat both her and Tucker down and told them about Valerie.

Now all Sam had to do was act like she didn't know. It wasn't too hard: she had known about them having coffee. She had only WONDERED if it had led to more. And now Danny was telling her that yes, it had led to more, and that he and Valerie were probably a step away from 'casual dating' to 'being a couple', or at least a couple defined by high school terms.

"…Yeah." Danny said. He'd predicted Tucker's reaction fairly well: he looked stunned (Tucker could put on an act when necessary), but Sam's was a bit harder to read.

Hell, even Sam didn't know what to make of it. On one hand she was thankful for Danny's openness and honesty, telling her to her face instead of sneaking around. On the same hand was the calm rational voice pointing out she didn't own Danny, that he was free to do what he chose to do (and buried under that was the tiny voice pointing out Sam could've been in Valerie's shoes, but she'd contemplated too long and lost her chance), and that just because Danny was now seeing Valerie didn't mean that it would be that way for the rest of his life…if she even decided she wanted to wait in the first place. After all, she was her own girl. She was Danny's good friend, but she wasn't beholden to him.

A strong argument…that still had a great deal of difficulty with the other hand, the murky emotional hand, the part that felt strongly even if the feelings didn't make sense, the part that asked how could Danny start this with another girl when she was right there, how he could possibly do something like like another girl, and a girl who could be setting up him for a fall at that, and the part that agonized that Valerie had won the challenge, and deep down, thoroughly buried and under control but still with a voice, the part that wanted to reach across the table and grab Danny and scream that he was a no good piece of trash for doing such a terrible thing like breaking her heart…

Except, as the twin sides warred within Sam for a moment, she realized he hadn't broken her heart. Because she'd never given it to him, in any big sense. Maybe a bit here…a piece there…but nothing serious.

"…Oh. Well…this is…a surprise Danny…" Sam said, trying to keep her voice as neutral as possible. "I mean…I wasn't really expecting it."

"I wasn't expecting it either. It just…kind of happened." Danny said. There was pleading in his eyes, pleading Sam could see all too well. And it reminded her that no matter what he did, Danny still cared for her.

It helped dull the pain.

Mostly.

But she could live with it. She'd adapt. She was strong. It could have been worse. It could have been Paulina, after all.

"Sam…you're ok with this right?" Danny said.

And she managed to say the words.

"…Yes Danny. Why wouldn't I be ok? It's your life, after all. I hope it goes good." Sam said. She thought the words sounded about as truthful as she could make them.

They seemed to work for Danny, who looked relieved…and yet, in his eyes, she could still see a few notable bits of emotion that differed from the relief. A spark of regret, a flash of worry…but much more so then those two was…contentment.

Their complications aside, this made Danny happy.

And he deserved it.

So Sam sucked it up and made her peace with it. She'd adjust. After all, Danny'd always been her friend, who said this would change anything? Maybe this would be a good time to just be a friend. She might spot potential danger to Danny: Valerie wasn't entirely to be trusted after all. And another thing: she remembered when she'd accidentally erased Danny's memories of her, how the events around that had caused her to end up in a brightly colored dress in front of Paulina, who had commented "She surrendered her individuality to a boy!" like it was a totally natural thing for a girl to do like getting her period or producing breast milk for a baby and how the words had burned into Sam, her fierce sense of who she was butting up against her murky feelings and she had sworn at that very moment that no matter what happened she would never fall into that unnatural garbage that Paulina had spouted and here was a test of that very vow and she wasn't going to fall over and break that damn Titan Noel might have thought she was weak and easily breakable because of her lack of so called life experience but this wasn't world affairs or history this was her own mind and heart and she wouldn't shatter just because a boy she might or might not like was dating another girl she was much stronger then that…

"Sam?"

Sam snapped out of her mental fugue to find both Tucker and Danny staring at her.

"Earth to Sam. Come in Sam. Over." Tucker said, tapping on Sam's head. "You really zoned out there for a moment."

"Oh yeah I was just…pondering a math homework question." Sam semi-sputtered. For an excuse it hit new records in the field of lame, but Danny seemed to accept it. Whether it was for his sake or hers, Sam didn't know.

"Tucker was just pointing out something I already knew: Valerie knows the truth about my double identity." Danny whispered.

"And she doesn't like his ghost half." Tucker said.

"To the point where I doubt she could so perfectly balance like and dislike." Danny finished.

"So you think she could be setting you up?" Sam asked, and then scolded herself inwardly for the very faint trace of eagerness in her tone.

"It's crossed my mind a few times. The only other option is she somehow forgot who I am. I haven't fully denoted that possibility yet…but if she is setting me up, I don't want to just be sitting around waiting for it. And I doubt she would confess if I out and out asked her. And even if I did ask her, then I'd be revealing the truth about myself if she once again somehow DIDN'T know, and if I don't do anything and she doesn't know, I'll still constantly be wondering if she does and that could drive a wedge through our relationship."

"A knotty problem." Sam said.

"Yeah, it is. I have, however, hit upon a potential solution. However, there's another problem with that: it's rather…unscrupulous." Danny said.

"What is it?"

"My overshadowing power." Danny said. "It allows me to control other people…and I think that it also allows me to view their thoughts and memories. It should, considering that memory and body manipulation both come from the brain. Using that power, I could potentially sneak into Valerie and find out the truth from the source."

"And you have overshadowed Valerie before." Tucker said, referring to the flour sack incident…and wincing as he recalled how spectacularly his grand idea around the assignment had blown up in his face.

"Yeah, so I have a basic lay of the land, even if I was just moving her body around."

"Ok. What's the problem?" Tucker asked. Danny's head jerked over to Tucker.

"Tuck! Really! You think it's fair for me to go diving into Valerie's mind, turning through her private thoughts like I'm a dimwitted cop searching for evidence, learning her secrets and personal matters just because I think I might find something malevolent about me?"

"Well, the other options are possibly fall into a trap of hers, or that she somehow forgot, no need to go into the minutiae of that." Tucker said, and sipped his soft drink.

"True, hence I'm not ruling it out. And the target forgets overshadowing as soon as I leave, as long as I'm careful. And…Valerie and I have another, uh, meeting tomorrow night, at this very restaurant. So here's what I was thinking." Danny said. "We go back to my place, and I practice the overshadowing ability. With you Tucker. No offense Sam."

"None taken." Sam said.

"Right. If I can develop it in such a way that I can figure out just where such information would be, and to get just THAT information…then I'll do it and find out myself what's going on. But only if I can practice it with you two. Besides that, I'm lost." Danny said.

"Works for me." Tucker said. "You want to head to your house right now?"

"The sooner I figure out something to do, the better."

* * *

Danny's breath came out in a white fog as soon as he stepped into the house. But his ghost sense wasn't going off: the house was freezing.

"BRRRRRR! What happened, did the heat get shut off?" Sam commented, as she clutched her arms, goose pimples rising on her bare flesh.

"No…my dad may be absent minded but not that much, and even if he was my mom would remember to pay any bills…hello! Anyone home?" Danny called.

"Oh Danny." Maddie Fenton said as she stuck her head through the kitchen doorway. "We expected you later. We thought we'd be done by now."

"But now you can come take a look at our latest project!" Jack semi-yelled as he stuck his head above his wife's, Maddie unphased as usual. "It's really cool! Come on!"

The three teens looked at each other, and then shrugged and headed into the kitchen.

The whole kitchen table was covered with gear that looked to have been ripped from a mad scientist film, and front and center on the table was…a skull. An artificial one, as it turned out, but one that still made Danny and Tucker start.

"Geez Mr and Mrs. Fenton, what are you doing, planning to do a performance of Hamlet in Alaska?" Tucker asked.

"No Tucker, this is my latest inspiration! Do you remember _Back To The Future_?" Jack said.

"More then you'd realize." Danny chuckled to himself.

"Well, remember the scene where the doctor said how he fell and hit his head on the toilet while hanging a clock and came up with the idea for a Flux Capacitator? Well I was watching a movie marathon and I went to make a snack and I opened the fridge door and hit myself in the face with it…and I was struck by similar inspiration!"

"You're going to try and build a time machine?" Danny asked, a hint of worry creeping into his voice. He'd had just about enough of time travel.

"No! Something different! Behold! The Fenton FACE!" Jack said, as he thrust his latest creation into Danny's own.

"…Dad, that's a mask. Of some generic person, no less." Danny said.

"At the moment, yes! But this is just the very beginning prototype! We're running tests, hence we have the heat off, sorry about that!" Jack said as he took the mask over to the skull. "The problem with masks is that they are obviously masks! But once the Fenton Face is complete, we will have a mask that perfectly and completely molds to the features of a man, so thin it will be virtually undetectable, so lifelike and realistic it will be virtually impossible to tell it's not a real face! True, we're just starting out! But we're getting somewhere! Look!" Jack said, as he put the mask over the skull and stepped back. After several seconds, the mask did indeed contract to the point where it fit over the skull like skin, though the lack of eyes or a nose made the effect more then a little creepy.

"We've worked out the plastic and chemical mixture so it doesn't contract to the point of splitting, but there's a lot still to do! First thing is to get it so it actually works in temperatures BESIDES sub-zero ones!" Jack said as he shivered for a second. "But I know I'll find out a way! And once all the kinks are worked out, imagine the use we will have for such a creation!"

"Oh really. And what use would that be Dad?" Danny asked.

"Well uh…you could use it to sneak up on a ghost! Or hide from a ghost! Or maybe…we could market it to a Halloween company! Or heck, if we could combine some kind of voice altering technology with it, we could sell it to the CIA or something!"

"Or use it to sneak into one of the seminars you've been kicked out of for being called a kook?" Maddie said good-naturedly.

"Yes! No! I mean…anyway we're just starting out for now! Check back later kids, it'll be so cool it'll be hot!" Jack said, and gave the assembled teens a thumbs up before turning back to carefully remove the mask from the skull.

"Say mom?" Danny whispered as he leaned in close to his mother.

"Yes dear?"

"What kind of movie marathon was he watching?"

"Tom Cruise." Maddie replied.

"Ah, this makes a bit more sense now." Danny said, as he nodded to Tucker and Sam. "Where's Jazz?"

"In her room. She has a space heater…"

All three of the kids were gone so fast Maddie could have sworn they broke overland speed records.

* * *

Jazz looked rather cross when she opened the door, though Danny could tell it wasn't at him, as the look faded as she saw whom it was.

"Da-" she began, before Tucker charged into her room, followed swiftly by Sam. "And friends. Sure, come in, make yourself at home." Jazz said with a hint of sarcasm.

Tucker took advantage of the words to dive under Jazz's blankets. That led to several seconds of Jazz trying to dislodge the teen from her bed, while he protested he would freeze to death if he were anywhere else. Jazz finally dislodged Tucker onto the floor and began making her bed again, while Danny watch in amusement and Sam looked at the television in Jazz's room, one that was apparently a 24 hour news channel with some breaking news involving a trial, Sam though.

"So, what does my brother and his Ghosties want?" Jazz said as she finished.

"Oh well…what?" Sam said. "What did you call us?"

"You guys need a nickname. I'm trying different ones out."

"How about 'Sam and Tucker, Not In Need of Additional Aggravation'?"

"Then I wouldn't be a very good big sister would I?" Jazz said, and grinned.

"Are you watching this Jazz?" Danny said to change the subject, pointing to the TV. Jazz briefly looked cross again.

"No, I've heard enough." Jazz said, as she picked up her remote and turned the TV off.

"What's wrong?" Danny asked, remembering Jazz's cross look.

"What, haven't you been paying attention to the news? It was the biggest story after your fight with Sizzle died down." Jazz said.

"Hmmmmmm, what could possibly distract me from watching the news, there was something, yes, it's on the tip of my tongue…" Danny said as he assumed a faux deep thinker pose. Jazz aimed the remote at Danny and repeatedly pressed the mute button as if that could shut him up.

"Ever heard of Deacon Gunner?" Jazz asked as she put the remote down.

"GAH-NAIR. It's produced GAH-NAIR." Tucker said. Everyone looked at him. "Info on webpages. Yeah, businessman, rumored to be a lot more, all bad, on trial. What happened?"

"They acquitted him."

"WHAT?" Tucker said. "I might not be an expert, but wasn't there a lot of strong evidence?"

"Focused around two witnesses. One disappeared. The other swiftly recanted. Without them they couldn't keep the case together. You see the result. What REALLY burns me is that we all KNOW what happened and we can't do a damn thing about it because there's no solid PROOF. Proof, ha. I swear, justice isn't just blind, it's stupid as well."

"Well how does that affect us?" Danny asked.

"It doesn't, I suppose…could you do anything Danny?"

"Me? Unless it's ghost related, kinda out of my area."

"Gunner…"

"GAH-NAIR."

"Everyone calls him Gunner, because he's supposed to be one of the biggest damn arms dealers in the States, it's Gunner to me." Jazz said. "But he's just a man…his son on the other hand…ugh."

"Ugh? What do you mean ugh?"

"Abel Gunner. He was at the trial, day in, day out. Early 20's. Seems normal enough…but there was one time he glanced at a camera, I think he was looking at something beyond it…ugh. There was just something WRONG in his eyes. Not right…but also probably not ghost related. In any case, it's out of our hands." Jazz said. "What's with the visit?"

"Well uh…where do I begin…" Danny said.

"Danny's got a girlfriend." Tucker said. Danny glared at him, while Jazz looked positively delighted.

"Oh Danny! My little brother, growing up so fast!" Jazz said as she sprang off her bed and enveloped him in a sisterly hug.

"Jazz! Friends! In presence of! Reaction! Bad! Not wanted! Cease! Desist!" Danny said, both trying to squirm out of his sister's grip and jerk his head to indicate to her who he didn't want her doing this in front of. Jazz released him, and started to turn to Sam. Tucker immediately saw the immensely awkward situation that was about to unfold and cut it off at the pass.

"Valerie Gray." Tucker said. Jazz stopped.

"Wait, what? Valerie Gray?"

"Yeah. Danny's dating her."

"Valerie Gray?"

"Yeah." Danny said, rubbing his wrist.

"The ghost hunter? The one who doesn't like Danny?"

"Phantom. Danny Phantom to be specific." Danny said. Jazz looked at her brother.

"Um Danny…not to sound condescending…but…"

"Yes Jazz, we all know something is a bit off about this. We'd like your help in determining just what." Danny said, and gave Valerie a rundown of his thoughts and his plan.

"Well, true, not the most ethical of tactics…but you're doing everything you can to minimize that…and if she is planning something…but why do you need me?"

"I plan to practice on Tuck first. But…I'd also like a female test subject. Just once, to make sure there wouldn't be any differences in each overshadowing. I'd wondered if you'd help in that regard Jazz. I don't feel right doing it with you Sam. I feel there's…too much of a privacy risk."

"…Oh. Ok. Um, thanks…I guess…" Sam said.

"Well…after the whole Kitty thing it probably wouldn't be so bad…all right. We going to do it now?" Jazz asked.

"Yes." Danny said, as he raised an arm. White circles flashed over him, and then he was Danny Phantom.

"Awwww. You didn't do the battle cry." Jazz said.

"Didn't feel it was necessary. You ready Tuck?"

"Hit me!" Tuck said, tapping his chest.

Danny turned intangible and dove into Tucker's chest.

Tucker stood there for a few seconds.

"Danny?"

"Yeah?" Tucker said in Danny's voice. "Sorry, used to OOPS!" Danny-Tucker said as Tucker fell down.

"Ow! Danny! Be careful!" Tucker himself said as he got back up. Danny's head poked out of Tucker's shoulder.

"Sorry. This is all new ground to me. You can't expect me to hit the nail exactly on the head." Danny said as he disappeared back into Tucker's body. What followed was about fifteen seconds of a weird jerky dance, as Sam and Jazz giggled over the spectacle.

"Better then anything Hollywood's produced in the last ten years." Sam commented.

"I am reminded of watching tapes in history class of Richard Nixon giving speeches wherein he looked like a large and disorganized committee of alien beings had taken over his body and were just learning how to operate it. 'Ok! Let's try to wave. Who's operating the arms?' 'Me!' 'No, me! 'NO…'" Jazz joked as Tucker continued his little goofy motions.

Until Danny popped out of his body. He looked a bit stunned.

"Ok, that went a little too well. I now know TOO much about Tucker." Danny said.

"What? You mean…" Tucker said.

"Yes Tucker, I know all about your rock."

* * *

Tucker's yard.

A rock.

With 'Tucker's Rock' spraypainted on it and signs that said 'Go away' and 'Keep out' nearby.

* * *

"…Y-you mean you know what I do near the rock? When no one's around?" Tucker said, looking horrified.

"Yes Tucker, and you should be very ashamed of yourself."

"I get so lonely…" Tucker said, and then glanced at the stunned faces of Jazz and Sam. "OK! The rest of this experiment will be in this nearby bathroom, away from prying ears! Yes it will!" Tucker said as he shoved Danny into Jazz's small personal washroom, closing the door with a slam.

There was a moment of silence, and then Jazz turned to Sam.

"I'm sorry." She said. She watched as Sam tried to look surprised and unaware of what Jazz was apologizing for. In Jazz's opinion, she didn't succeed very well.

"Why?" She asked anyway.

"You know why."

"…What, Danny and Valerie? Heck…who am I to say who he should date or not?"

"So you're ok?"

"Yes!…Yeah…well…"

"What?"

"One thing."

"Ask away."

"…Jazz…let's assume Valerie has forgotten Danny has a ghost side, and one she really doesn't like much at that. I know that she said she kinda liked Danny himself beforehand…but it seems like she made a big jump from that area to one where she'd ask him out! It just strikes me as…off. Not quite all right. But I can't figure out why. You want to be a psychologist…can you think of what's not kosher?"

"…Well Sam, I'm still very early in my field of study…but I can give it a try. Tell me everything you can about Valerie and her relationship to Danny beforehand."

Sam did so, telling Jazz everything she could recall, most of it gleaned through conversations with Danny. She told Jazz about Valerie's original 'status' at Danny's school, her 'demotion' and Danny's inadvertent role in it and how that played into her becoming a ghost hunter, her sparring with Danny at the same time of them being paired up for a school project and how the ghost Skulker had gotten involved and allowed them to forge an uneasy truce. She spoke of how Danny and Valerie had had the precise set of circumstances that led to Valerie liking Danny Fenton and hating Danny Phantom occur, and finally she told Jazz of what she knew about the time travel incident (which provoked a lot of disbelieving looks from the redhead), and finally ending up with what she'd seen in the mall. She was amazed she got it all out before Danny and Tucker came back out of the washroom, but she did.

"…Well, that is quite a twisted rope." Jazz said at the end. "And I, unfortunately, can't immediately pluck an answer from thin air. I need one last piece of information: if Jazz did somehow forget Danny's secret. If she HAS…then I may have something. I need to know for sure though."

"I'll tell you as soon as we find out."

"And I'll give it some thou…"

The door opened, and a somewhat bedraggled Tucker came out, followed by a floating Danny.

"Ok, it took some practice, and some messing up of the bathroom…"

"My oils!" Jazz said, running into the washroom past the males.

"But we think we've figured out just where to look in the brain without prying too deep. Assuming Jazz doesn't want to lynch me, we'll test it on her." Danny said. Jazz came out of the washroom thirty seconds later, a bit cross looking again but not in a blocking-the-intended-plan way.

"Well? We don't have all day, little brother." Jazz said. Danny looked sheepish, and then dove into Jazz. Jazz stood there for about 12 or so seconds, and then Danny popped out again.

"Your last test you took, the correct answer was smudged, you circled another answer that wasn't fully correct and argued with your teacher that if the correct answer was so messed up that you couldn't tell the difference between it and a wrong answer you weren't going to gamble on circling it. She gave you full credit."

"…Yeah…I never told anyone about that, it was two weeks ago…" Jazz said, still a wee bit dazed from the overshadowing.

"YES! I rule." Danny said, and changed back to normal. "At least now we have an option."

"You sure you didn't pry while you were in there?" Jazz asked.

"Jazz, you're my sister. I don't WANT to know your secrets." Danny said. "Well, glad we did that, we'll do lunch later, gotta go!" Danny said, not wanting to answer for the messy bathroom as he tried to exit Jazz's room.

The blast of frigid air from the hall reminded him why he was hiding in Jazz's room in the first place.

"Or maybe not later." Danny said, as he turned around, Tucker and Sam next to him as they'd been exiting too. Jazz smirked.

"Sure. Stay. I think I have some baby pictures that I haven't shown your friends yet." Jazz said.

Despite carrying Sam and Tucker, Jazz was certain that Danny HAD this time broken an overland speed record.

* * *

_So the plan is in place. Tomorrow, when we meet…I'll hopefully, finally, have an answer._

_I just hope it's the one I want._

_Fenton out.

* * *

_

"You know what I was thinking of today?" Valerie said, looking at a menu.

Danny'd been nervous the whole day, and it hadn't slacked off much. His concentration was zip, and Danny had spent most of the time making plans for both possible circumstances. Now that he was here, he had no idea just when he should put the overall plan in motion to find out which set would be needed.

"What?" Danny said, as a tiny part of him hoped a sinkhole would open up under the restaurant and render his need to do this moot.

"I was shopping, I saw a bag of flour…reminded me of that assignment we did a while back. Remember that?" Valerie said.

"Yeah. We didn't get along very well, did we?"

"I was still in a period of adjustment. I think at the end…that was when I started to notice the real you. When you gave me the day off from this damnable place. Oh, I'm so glad I got a better job." Valerie said.

"Yeah, how's that going?"

"Good I suppose. Dad's working his butt off to get back up the ladder. Of course, I'd have never fallen DOWN the ladder if not for…" Valerie said, anger briefly flashing across her face. "But that's done. Maybe for the better. Gave me the chance to see a few things. Like how deep my friendships really ran. And you, I suppose." Valerie said. Danny blushed slightly.

"Well…humility is good, I suppose. I should know, I get plenty of it! Probably far more then the recommended daily dose, ha ha ha!" Danny said.

"Danny, relax. I know you're shy. Heck, I don't blame you." Valerie said. A bored waiter briefly saved Danny, but the food ordering didn't take too long and when it was done Valerie was talking again. "I got a look at the whole high school food chain, from both ends. Must be hard, just having a few friends, longing for stuff beyond your 'station'…you still like Paulina?" Valerie asked.

"What? Well um…she uh…"

"No need. I know. I understand. Things are different now. Right?" Valerie said, and arched an eyebrow.

"…Yeah. Exactly." Danny said. Valerie smiled slightly.

"So tell me, have you read this new report about Diet cola? I sometimes wonder…" Valerie said, changing the subject to a more casual topic. It gave Danny some relief.

At least until the food came.

"So, have you told anyone about us?" Valerie asked. Danny nearly choked on his fry.

"Told? Well um…"

Valerie looked on expectedly.

"…A few. My sister. And…well, Sam and Tuck."

"You told your friends?"

"Why wouldn't I?"

"…No reason." Valerie said. Danny turned the words over in his head, searching for any hidden meanings. He couldn't find any.

"So…what's with Sam?" Valerie asked.

"Sam?"

"Yes."

"…Well…she's my friend Val. For a long time."

"…Ok. Well, good for her. You're a good guy." Valerie said, and gave Danny that smile again, just the very bare hint of seductiveness, and Danny felt his temperature rising as he nearly choked on his food again.

He figured that was as good a time as any, as he kept coughing after the discomfort had passed.

"Danny?" Valerie said. "You ok?'

"I…not sure…I…" Danny said, and faked a stomach cramp. "Uh oh…oh dear, I think the Nasty Sauce is a bit off today…oh crud!" Danny said, putting a hand on his mouth as he got up and ran for the bathroom, Valerie's worried eyes following him.

There was no one else in the washroom anyway, but Danny went through with the act of running into a stall and making puking noises anyway. Gazing down at the toilet, he blinked.

"…Sorry Val." He said. "But I like you too much not to do this."

Danny's last thought, as he transformed, was that was probably the same excuse wife beaters made to themselves as they took off their belts.

It took Danny a little time to sink into the floor, and while invisible, skim alongside the ground with just his face exposed. By the time he was out of the bathroom Valerie was up and yelling at the manager, accusing him of doing a sloppy job and demanding compensation for her ill date. They say you can tell a lot about someone by how they act when you're not around, but Danny, sadly, knew he had to be sure.

"…WHEN I WORKED HERE!" Valerie finished yelling, and turned back to her table, starting to fetch her purse.

Danny rose up behind her.

"Sorry Val." He whispered, and dove into her back.

Valerie went rigid, and remained leaning over the table. Fortunately, to any observers, it looked like she was rooting through her purse. She remained that way for nearly thirty seconds.

And then Danny popped out of her back. He looked at Valerie for a second, and then flew back into the bathroom.

"Ohhhhhh…" Valerie said as she came back to her senses. "What happened? Damn, I think the food is affecting me too…geez, maybe I should file a lawsuit, pay for college on their backs…ohhh…feeling better now…Danny, where's…"

"I'm right here Val. You ok?" Danny asked as he appeared next to Valerie. She blinked at him.

"…Yeah I feel fine now. How about you Danny?"

"Me…oh. It seemed that it went out the same way it came in. I feel much better now." Danny said, and Valerie could see it in his eyes. "Everything's fine now. Everything."

* * *

_Addendum to Entry No #5_

_Nothing._

_I don't believe it…and yet I jump for joy. Nothing at all._

_No hidden revenge plans. No grand scheme. No loathing hidden behind the eyes. I went through every surface memory area that I had figured out was 'safe' and I didn't find a single trace of a plan that involved taking me down. Danny Phantom, yes. But…nothing about me._

_Somehow, she's forgotten. Whether by my theory or by some other, not a memory remains._

_At least on the surface. I could have looked deeper. But I swore to myself that I would keep out of such things, and I did. Valerie's not a trained soldier, conditioned with mental techniques to hide things deep. If she had some kind of a plan, there would be a trace on the surface. But there was nothing there._

_At least in that vein. For all my efforts, I did pick up on a few things. Hopes, fears, general feelings…and me._

_She likes me._

_As the Hollywood saying goes, she really, really likes me._

_…I'm at a loss for words, really. And there are still issues to be worked out._

_But I can go to sleep peacefully for tonight._

_Who knows what tomorrow will bring, but I know it will bring at least some good things._

_Danny Fenton, floating off to bed.

* * *

_

**_Log Entry No 58-Valerie Gray_**

**_Woke up with cramps this morning. They passed, thankfully. I did a little scouting: no sign of any ghosts or that damn ghost boy. He's been pretty damn incognito these last several weeks: every time I hear he's at a precise location he's gone when I get there. But I'll get him. Revenge is a dish best served cold._**

**_And besides…I have other things to occupy my life. My job, keeping my dad away from my new stash…and Danny._**

**_I really don't know what happened. Sure, I kinda liked him when I got to know him, hiding away from Nathan (Creep), but when I saw him in the mall, after not seeing him for a bit…well, maybe it's true what they say: 'Absence makes the heart grow fonder.' I almost felt drawn to him, like I had to make a connection…and I did. We did._**

**_There's still the issue of his 'girl friend' Samatha, but even if she has a problem it's not her issue. And if she wants to bring it, she'll find me ready. But I don't want to think about that._**

**_I think about him. Not obsessively, not all the time…but I never did that with a boy before. Danny's the most real person I've ever met._**

**_…Well I'm not ready to bust out the big L word just yet. Hell no._**

**_But I'm looking forward to hearing from him again._**

**_I'm looking forward to seeing where this goes._**

**_And if I can kick the crud out of that damn ghost boy, then my life might actually be getting back to some degree of normalcy._**

**_Of course…I might have to tell him I'm a ghost hunter. Then again, his family's obsessed with that kind of stuff, he can probably handle it…_**

**_Maybe he'll think it's a turn on…_**

**_…What am I writing! I'd better delete that…_**

**_Ack! Here comes my dad! I'll do it later!_**

**_Log over!

* * *

_**

Though Danny had had Valerie escort him home where he'd written the entry (Jazz was thankfully out of the house and the heat was back on), he still felt too good to just go to sleep. So he transformed and just took a slow flight around Amity Park. He felt like he owned the world.

He didn't see the eyes, watching him. Observing. Weighing factors.

"…Hmmmmmmm." It said.

And then in a swirl of ectoplasmic cape, it was gone.

_To Be Continued_


	3. Part 3

Part 3

The Journal of Daniel Fenton, Entry #8

_Sometimes I almost wish I were a religious person so I could make sense of some things, or at least decide what they were. This past month has me thinking of two different creeds._

_One, karma. The classic cause and effect law prevalent in several Indian religions. A law that basically says if you do good things, good things will come back to you, and if you do bad things, ditto. Now I know more then a few people who would jump down my throat at the supposed utter falseness of this law, citing various examples where bad people got the best of life and good people were hammered on by the dark side of it until they shattered in one way or another. I'm not here to debate its veracity (dictionaries are fun!). I'm simply using it as something I'm pondering._

_It says if you do good, good will happen to you._

_But another type of belief, Chinese in origin I believe, states that there must be a balance between happiness and unhappiness in life. If you get too much of one, the other will be thrust upon you for balance. In both ways. If you're TOO happy…look out._

_The reason I wonder about this is due to the events of the past month._

_Ghost attacks have been minimal and easily dealt with: my last real effort was with Tom the Samurai. I actually have time to study. And Valerie…_

_For lack of a better term, I will call it wonderful. Oh, it's not like those Harlequin romance novels: I don't float to school every day (even though, all things considered, I could if I wanted to). We also seem to have avoided the teenage sinkhole where our relationship seems to be based more on obsession then love (I've read of them in magazines mostly, ones I cribbed from my sister, don't ask why, of young women my age saying that she and her boyfriend can't stand being apart from each other more then a minute and takes this as a sign of true love. It's not true love, it's hormones mixed with inexperience mixed with learning. See, I do pay attention in school sometimes!) I've mentioned Sam before…and though part of me doesn't like to admit it, whatever complications we have just don't exist with Valerie. After getting over the get to know you hills, we've clicked._

_I think that soon we may be taking the step to the next level…but I'd rather not think about that. For one, it makes me worried and embarrassed, and sometimes it even makes me glad I don't wear sweat pants if you know what I mean._

_BUT, of course, there are still problems. We still haven't figured out just how Valerie forgot my secret. We've had a few theories, but none that have borne fruit. And of course, Tucker saw fit to come up with another problem…

* * *

_

"Danny, you have to let Valerie attack you." Tucker said. Danny nearly spat his soda into Tucker's face.

"What?" Danny snorted.

"I agree. What?" Sam said, arching an eyebrow. They were back in the Nasty Burger doing their now-usual brainstorming session.

"I know it sounds weird, but hear me out Danny. We keep thinking about the reason why she forgot…that put me on another train of thought last night. Ok, she forgot…but how could she REMEMBER?" Tucker said.

"I'm not following Tuck."

"Ok, Danny. You said you got a glimpse of her room. And that it's covered with Danny Phantom stuff. Her grudge apparently hasn't faded."

"No." Danny said in exasperation.

"And you hadn't run into her…well since the whole time travel thing before this started."

"No."

"And Valerie is now spending a lot of time with you."

"I'll say, and let me tell you, it's a pain keeping it from the school."

"Brief pause: why are you doing that?"

"Valerie KNOWS them. And she's come to really hate gossip."

"Fair enough. Back to the point. Plenty of Danny for Valerie, no Phantom. And she hasn't slacked off on him. Eventually Danny, she might start to wonder why and how the ghost kid is avoiding her so effectively." Tucker said. "And Valerie's a smart cookie. She might think one of the possibilities is inside information. And who could be giving him inside information? And then she may look at you…the boy from the family of ghost hunters…who come to think of it, looks and sounds ODDLY like the Phantom…" Tucker said.

Danny stared for a second, and then he smacked his forehead.

"Why, for once, can't anything in my life be simple?"

"Technically most of your problems are simple. Ghosts show up, scare people, you beat them up, and they leave. Simple." Sam said. "This situation doesn't allow a physical violence solution. At least, not in and of itself."

A light bulb appeared over Danny's head.

"Hey, I know how to dodge Flash! I mean…I just had an idea." Danny said.

"And if anyone at ALL gets that last reference the author will be utterly amazed." Tucker commented.

CRASH!

Sam offered Tucker a broom and dustbin, and Tucker sighed and walked off to tidy up the forth wall.

* * *

_So we are now faced with another Identity Crisis, of sorts. But together, the three of us have worked out a somewhat risky plan._

_The only trouble is a matter of communication…

* * *

_

Danny couldn't understand the greeting, but the fact that Wulf started licking his face like an actual dog made it pretty clear.

"Hey! Hey! Good to see you too." Danny said, even as he tried to untangle himself from Wulf's grip. Wulf spoke more Esperanto and ended with 'Friend'.

"Yeah, I'm your friend Wulf. You understand me, right?" Danny said. Wulf nodded. "Keeping away from Walker ok?"

Wulf growled a bit. Walker had tried a few times to recapture him, but a combination of Wulf's dimension-tearing claws and Danny's help had kept Wulf out of Walker's grasp. Wulf didn't mind much: he was nomadic by nature and used to moving around. But Wulf nodded, indicating he was keeping away.

"Ok…Wulf, we're friends right?"

"…Danny…friend…"

"Right, ok…" Danny said, as he withdrew a large book. He'd had to go to nine different stores in three different towns, but he'd managed to find an English to Esperanto textbook. Wulf gave it an odd look.

"…I…need…your…help…" Danny slowly said in Esperanto. Wulf looked amused by his speaking: Danny was probably tripping all over the accents. Wulf said something back in Esperanto that Danny didn't really understand.

"…Come…with…me." Danny said.

"…Go…friend." Wulf said in English.

"Yes, come with me." Danny repeated, as he gestured. It was easy enough to lead Wulf out of the Ghost Zone and back into his parent's house.

"…Sorry…cold…in…here…" Danny said as he went through the book. His parents were STILL mucking with the Fenton Face. Wulf didn't seem to notice: must have been the fur.

Jazz was a tad bit freaked when Wulf showed up in her room, but it faded as Danny, SLOWLY, introduced Sam and Tucker and Jazz, explaining as best he could who they were. Wulf seemed to understand, and upon deciding that 'Jazz…friend…too…" started licking her face, much to Jazz's annoyance and secretly some hidden delight.

"Ok Tucker. You busted your butt for four days refamiliarizing yourself with his language, you think you can explain to him our idea?" Danny asked.

"I can try. Give me the book." Tucker said.

"Wulf!" Danny called, and Wulf stopped licking Jazz and bounded over to Danny. "Tucker…friend…will…explain…help…" Danny said, having to look up will and explain in the book.

Tucker's Esperanto was a bit smoother then Danny's, but he still needed to refer to the book a lot, and hence it took nearly three hours to fully explain Danny's need. Wulf seemed very confused for the first hour, but after three he seemed to have grasped the basic concepts.

"…Wulf…go…to friend…we…'play'…then Wulf…go…when ask…ed…this…help…friend?" Wulf said. Danny figured that was a pretty good grasp, and congratulated Wulf on understanding. Wulf seemed to take pride in this.

Tucker explained it once more, just in case. Wulf nodded along the whole time.

"…Wulf…help friend…"

"Yes. You're a good friend." Tucker said in Esperanto.

"Now let's hope he's a great one." Danny said.

* * *

_Our plan is on the surface simple: Wulf will come to my school tomorrow, scare a few kids, then I, the Phantom, will show up, we'll play-wrestle for a bit, and then the second Valerie shows up Wulf will leave, I'll dance with her a few seconds and then I'll leave as well, and maybe this will help alleviate any suspicions she has on where her enemy is._

_Of course, Wulf's language barrier leaves stuff up in the air. He might not fully understand that I just want to scare a few people. And if Valerie jumps me before I can tell him to leave, he may very well jump Valerie. Or…well there's a lot of stuff that could go wrong, and I sure don't want to turn Wulf into an enemy._

_I wonder if this is the Chinese factor coming in to rain unhappiness on me. You have to understand, I don't plan on hiding my true self from Valerie forever, especially if it gets…serious. But until she and I have gotten into each other's confidence enough to start revealing such things, she has to think we're two different people, and not be given a reason to think otherwise._

_But I can't sit here and keep fretting, or I'll be up all night._

_Danny Fenton, with crossed fingers, signing out.

* * *

_

"All right." Danny said, as he put a shirt down on the floor. He, Sam, and Tucker were crammed into a broom closet in his school on a recess break. "Here's the plan. If Wulf understood the time instructions, and I think he did, he should show up here, in this closet, in about 50 minutes, which is when you, Tucker, break for your next class. He's tracking me by smell, hence the shirt. But just in case Tuck, you come here, speak with him, just in case…and then we do the plan. Ok?"

"Ok."

"…You know guys, this is a lot of trouble and by myself I probably couldn't have done it. You're really going out of your way to help…just thanks. Thanks a lot." Danny said, even as he looked a bit sheepish.

"Hey, what are friends for?" Tucker said.

"Yeah Danny. Besides, who else am I going to turn to to get out of Christmas caroling?" Sam said.

"I'll be there! Now, let's head out into the hallway, my way: seeing all three of us come out could be…awkward." Danny said, as he went ghost, turned Tucker and Sam intangible and invisible, and left the room, dropping them off in an isolated corner and transforming back behind them.

"Ok guys, let's head to class. Oh, one last thing. When it happens, just try and keep out of sight. Or at least, don't meet up with each other." Danny said.

"What? Why?" Sam asked.

"If Valerie sees you and Tucker, but no me, and the Phantom just happens to be around…we have to avoid giving her ideas on all fronts!"

"Good point. I'll head to the cafeteria and take advantage of the…short lines." Tucker said, and grinned. Sam rolled her eyes.

"Ok ok. Well let's get moving before we freeze up." Sam said, and the three went their separate ways.

* * *

Tucker was back in the broom closet 48 minutes later. 

And six minutes after that, reality tore open in front of the black teen, and Wulf slipped out. He sniffed and looked around, a bit confused by the confined quarters.

"Friend?" He asked.

"You'll…see him soon Wulf." Tucker said, once again reading from the Esperanto book. "Now, you remember the plan."

Though it was a bit garbled to his inexperienced ears, Tucker was pretty sure Wulf said "For Danny, I go out and scare people and then he will come and we'll play for a bit and when he asks me to leave I go back home."

"Yes, exactly!" Tucker said, in English, and looked at the book again. "But remember Wulf…just…scare. Do not…hurt anyone. Just scare…them."

"Don't…hurt…" Wulf said in his labored English. "…Scare."

"Yes."

"…Now?"

"Yes, now."  
It was like a switch, as Wulf went from relatively benign to full on _American Werewolf in London_, and with a snarl he pushed past Tucker, phasing through the door. The very loud screams that erupted on the other side made it clear that people had seen him, as Wulf snarled and barked, the sounds fading after a few seconds.

Tucker peeked out through the door. An empty hallway with various dropped school supplies. Tucker exited the broom closet and went down the hallway, hands in his pockets and whistling.

* * *

It didn't take the racket long to reach the class Danny was in, as he glanced up. A few seconds later the door slammed open and a panicked student ran in. 

"HELP! GHOST! AHHHHHHHHH!" The random student screamed, and the whole class immediately panicked. They remembered Sizzle too.

"Ok people, stay calm! We're on the first floor, exit through the windows!" The teacher said, as the students ran through for the windows and opened them.

Everyone was so busy trying to get out no one noticed Danny stayed behind in the classroom.

"Heh. I'm ready for my close up, Mr. DeMille." Danny said, as he thrust his arms out. Flashing rings surged over them, as they flowed over his head and feet as well, meeting in the center of his chest and disappearing in a twinkle of light over his chest logo. Danny turned invisible and intangible and flew through the wall. It wasn't hard to find Wulf: he had just had to follow the screams.

Wulf apparently understood the concept of 'Don't hurt anyone' better then Danny realized when he found him: not only was he not attacking anyone, he was doing his menacing in such a way that the students didn't trample each other in their attempts to escape. Danny found Wulf in the gym, where he was chasing the current class around.

"HEY!" Danny yelled, and Wulf turned as Danny slammed into him, turning intangible to phase both him and Wulf through the wall.

He never saw that Valerie was in that class. Her eyes narrowed.

"Well well, good things do come to those who wait." Valerie said, and ran for the locker room.

Danny phased Wulf outside, past a group of students who panicked all over again.

"Hey Wulf." Danny said almost casually.

"Friend! Play now?" Wulf asked.

"Yes Wulf, we play." Danny said. "We play ROUGH."

The look in Wulf's eyes made Danny a little nervous: his lack of English speaking skills aside, Wulf clearly understood that word.

"Rough!" He said, mostly joyfully but with a hint of sadistic glee mixed in as well.

And then he grabbed Danny and shifted his weight, and the two of them tumbled down onto the ground. Danny ended up on the bottom, and though Wulf landed on the ground and not on Danny the impact was notable.

"Owffff!" Danny gasped, and then got his leg under Wulf and flipped him off him. Wulf landed on his feet as Danny flipped to his. He charged at Wulf again, but Wulf actually sidestepped the attack, grabbed Danny's arm, and swung him over his body, slamming Danny into the ground. Again, not as hard as possible, but Danny was still briefly winded.

"…You're a little too good at this." Danny said. Despite his lupine features, Wulf clearly grinned.

Danny flipped up and leapt on him again, and the two tumbled across the school ground until they ended up on the football field where they split apart. By now, several of the students had noticed that the wolf ghost was not longer chasing them…and they recognized the reason.

"Yeah! Go Phantom! Whoo! Get him!" And so on came from a little less then a dozen people scattered around the football field. Danny couldn't help but chuckle to himself.

"Ah, me public." Danny said, and fired an ectoplasmic blast, keeping his aim off just in case. Wulf dodged and retaliated with a blast of red ectoplasm from his eyes, and when Danny dodged them Wulf pounced on Danny again. But this time, Danny bounced off the ground and flew up, as the two continued to wrestle with each other. To a casual observer, it looked life and death. That was good, as Wulf snarled and went for Danny's chest, seizing his costume with his teeth but not actually biting down, as he drove Danny back down into the ground. Danny yelped (he did feel the impact after all) and then got his feet under Wulf and shoved him away, Wulf flying across the football field and landing on his feet after a somersault.

And Danny spied a familiar red figure in the distant sky. Well, things had gone well so far, as he flew forward and once again slammed into Wulf.

"Ok Wulf, you have to go now!" He whispered, as the two appeared to struggle.

"Go?" Wulf said, looking a bit disappointed. He'd clearly been having fun.

"Yeah. We can play more later! But you have to go now!"

"…Go now!" Wulf said.

"Yes! Pretend to run away!" Danny said, as he shoved Wulf backwards. Wulf flew like it was a punch. Danny thrust out his hands and fired a spray of ecto-shots, all of which were aimed around Wulf. Wulf understood, as he acted like they hit him. He let out a mournful howl and then slashed out with his claws, shredding through reality and heading back into the Ghost Zone, as Danny pretended to try and follow him, and when he 'failed', he pretended to be mad at the fact, acting like he didn't notice Valerie behind him.

He was still a bit startled when he heard the clicking and whirring up noise that signified Valerie was getting ready to fire.

"Well well, look who finally crawled back out from under his rock." Valerie said. After getting used to hearing sweet nothings from Valerie, her cold angry tone was quite a turnaround. "Well, when I'm done with you, you'll wish you stayed in hiding!"

Valerie blasted off a missile.

Danny flew upward to avoid it. He had debated on what to do here, and had decided that 'less is better'. He wasn't even going to speak to Valerie, less she recognize his voice (he knew that in ghost form his voice had a bit of an echo and hence sounded a little different, but Danny wasn't going to tempt fate). Nonetheless, he felt his waving hand gesture of dismissal said enough, a 'Ok you don't want me around, I'm gone.' And after doing it Danny flew at Valerie. Valerie yelped and tried to dodge, but she wasn't quite fast enough as Danny phased through her and turned invisible on the other side. By the time Valerie managed to turn around Danny had dived into the ground and vanished entirely.

"What the…hey! Don't run away!" Valerie said, looking around. The small crowd had begun to boo, and Valerie glared daggers at them, even though her mask hid it. One even threw an empty soda can at her, though he didn't get anywhere near enough to hit her.

"Lousy ingrates! UGH! Next time, Phantom!" Valerie growled, and flew off.

* * *

Danny popped back up into the school in the same broom closet that Wulf had come from. 

And which he entered into again, much to Danny's surprise. He must have followed his nose.

"Friend…Wulf…do…ok?" Wulf asked. Apparently he wanted to see if he had disappointed Danny. Danny found it touching.

"You did great Wulf. Wonderful." Danny said, saying the last word in Esperanto. Wulf gave the doggy grin again and licked Danny's cheek.

"…Go now?" Wulf asked.

"Yeah Wulf, you need to go."

"Play…later?"

"Yeah Wulf, we will."

"…Play. Goodbye, friend." Wulf said, as he tore open another portal. Within seconds he was gone.

"Well, that went pretty well overall." Danny said as he turned back to normal and turned around.

And the door to the broom closet slammed open.

* * *

Valerie hated the fact that every time these days she charged out of her costume, she had to take off all the little quick-change orbs and put them in her backpack. But better that then her father randomly searching her and finding the gear. Or someone accidentally hitting the activation button: Valerie didn't want to have to explain herself if she suddenly found herself in a red suit in the middle of the cafeteria. 

Well, at least she'd gotten into the bathroom and changed without anyone seeing her. Even if the Phantom had run away without accepting his well deserved butt-whooping. He was a coward on top of other things, Valerie mused, as she left the washroom, acting like she'd been hiding there.

And more bad luck came crashing down on her, as a certain someone happened to be outside. A certain orange-afroed, alien t-shirt and glasses wearing, freckled nerdy someone.

Nathan. Valerie froze.

"Valerie! My love!"

"AHHHHHHH!" Valerie screamed, and took off running down the hall.

"No! Please! There's only 1,017 days left for you to accept my invitation! Please! We would work so well together! Valerie!" Nathan wailed, chasing after Valerie, who put on an extra burst of speed, as she rounded the corner…and decided hiding was better then running.

She picked the first door she found.

* * *

And that was how Valerie and Danny ran into each other again, as Valerie ran into the broom closet, whirled around, and slammed the door shut, as Danny's heart leapt into his chest. Had despite everything working so well, Valerie somehow tracked him down anyway? Was it all about to fall apart? 

Well, Danny wasn't going to fold if there was a chance he could bluff. It was dark in the closet, and Valerie had looked inside for maybe 1/3 of a second before turning around to shut the door. She probably hadn't seen Danny.

Yet, as he screamed and cowered back, even as Valerie jumped and whirled around.

"…Danny?" She said in pure confusion: while the broom closet was dark it wasn't pitch black. "What on earth are you doing in here?"

"Val? Is that you? Is the ghost gone?" Danny said, putting a quaver into his voice. He didn't much care for playing a coward, but he figured it was realistic: if the accident had never happened and he had managed to do all he'd done in his normal life as clumsy, shy, Danny Fenton, then Danny Fenton would have run away from a seemingly ravenous wolf ghost and hid in a broom closet too.

"Uh…just a sec!" Valerie said, as she whirled around. She wasn't looking for any ghosts: she was making sure she'd lost Nathan.

After 40 seconds, she figured she had.

"Is it gone?" Danny said, getting a bit annoyed at how much whimper there was in his voice. He wanted a little, not a 'I'm about to piss my pants' level.

"Yeah, it's gone Danny. You ran in here to hide?" Valerie said.

"…Yeah…Sorry." Danny found himself saying.

"For what? Everyone else ran away as well. It's hardly like you're in a small group population." Valerie said, sitting down next to Danny. "I'm pretty sure it's gone now though."

"You weren't running away from it?" Danny asked, hiding his curiosity at just how Valerie had ended up in the same broom closet as him in his supposed fear of the ghost.

"Heck no! Takes more then some dumb ghost to scare me! No, it was Nathan."

"Nathan?"

"Oh come on Danny, I'm sure you remember Nathan."

"Only vaguely. I was spending more time thinking of you."

With the gloom, Danny couldn't really tell if he thought Valerie's expression meant anything, but he thought she gave him one that essentially said 'That's sweet.' Thought.

"Yeah well, you might want to spend more time thinking about him. He's one of the thorns in my side. Heck, hiding from him is how we met, so to speak."

"Yeah I remember now. He's still chasing after you huh?"

"Yes! He just won't quit! I've tried being nice, I've tried threats, I've tried ignoring him, and he just won't give up! If he weren't so harmless I'd have taken a restraining order out on him, and even so I'm really getting sick of him chasing after me!"

"…Well uh…you want me to go say something to him?"

"And give the whole school a giant blazing sign that says 'We're going out?'. Sorry Danny, not yet." Valerie said.

"No no. I could just go speak to him…as a friend of yours. Man to man. Better then me sitting around and doing nothing if he bothers you." Danny said.

"You're not going to beat him up are you?"

"Not my thing."

"Yeah I know." Valerie said, and leaned in and gave Danny a brief peck on the cheek. Danny turned bright red, even as Valerie pulled her head back. "There are guys who will fight for their woman, and there are guys who don't understand that there are certain times to do it and certain times not to. I think that if push came to shove, you'd be one of the first ones." Valerie said.

"Uh…yeah." Was all Danny could say.

"All right then. Let's get out of here before anyone else walks in on us." Valerie said, as she got up and peered through the snowy-style glass window that reduced anything viewed through it to a blur of colors. "I don't think anyone's out front."

"You don't think?" Danny said, standing up and walking over to her.

"Yeah, think. I don't have X-Ray eyes. But hey what are the odds…" Valerie said as she opened the door.

Valerie had been right: there wasn't anyone in front of the door.

However, there were a considerable number of people on each SIDE of the door.

And since all these people were considerably jumpy after the ghost attack, the noise of the door opening got everyone's attention, as Danny and Valerie found themselves staring back at a large group of their peers.

Valerie stared in shock for a few seconds before she smacked her hand into her face, while Danny felt severely tempted to blow his secret identity so he could just sink through the floor.

And then everyone started laughing. Exactly why, Danny never found out. He didn't think it was very funny.

"It just HAD to be this way, didn't it?" Valerie muttered. She could already see people whispering to newcomers attracted by the noise. The gossip mill was about to be cranked up to maximum overdrive. Man, karma was a bitch in certain aspects.

Danny was still trying to collect himself when Valerie removed her hand, an angry look on her face.

"What? There was a GHOST, attacking us! MUST you assume that there is only ONE reason for us to be in this closet, especially considering the aforementioned CIRCUMSTANCES?" Valerie snapped. It didn't stop the students' laughter, which was now starting to include catcalls.

Danny just wished he could disappear. This possibly couldn't get any worse.

"Well, who have we here? FEN-TON!"

Scratch that, Dash had just arrived.

Though apparently he couldn't think of anything else at the moment to direct at Danny, so he turned his attention to Valerie, who was trying to cover her embarrassment with anger.

"Hey Val, man…after what happened I knew you'd fallen down the ladder…but I never thought you'd be content to sit and eat dirt on the bottom rung!" Dash cracked. "What happened? You couldn't run with the stallions any more, so you decided to lie down with the…wimp horses?" Dash said, and laughed to himself like his lame ending was a new gift to the field of humor.

Valerie was still glaring at Dash, but her expression abruptly changed as a cold, wicked grin flashed over her face.

"You're right Dash. In terms of social status, I have fallen down the ladder." Valerie said.

And then she snapped her hand out and seized Dash by the testicles.

Dash's scream of pain cut off all the laughter like a switch. Even Danny was stunned, as Valerie's anger returned, full bore.

"And in these last few weeks, I am beginning to realize just what a blessing that may be." Valerie said, as Dash whimpered and danced as she maintained a death grip on his pride and joy. "You know Dash, I won't blame you for your insults. It's what you do. What I DO take objection to, Dash, is the way that my new financial trouble seemingly gives you free reign to call my character and virtue into question. So I suggest you issue an apology right this instant, STALLION, or your name will be changed to the more appropriate handle of GELDING." Valerie said, and twisted hard.

You can't blame Dash for screaming like a woman. Most men would.

"SORRY! SORRRRRRRYYYYYYYYYY!" Dash screamed.

Valerie released her grip, and Dash crumpled before the black girl, who flicked her eyes over the crowd.

"Anyone else want to make unfounded comments?" She asked.

Danny just stood and stared, amazed by it all.

Then he heard another brief snicker, and turned to look at a jock whose name he couldn't recall, who had by now flowed from the surprise of watching Valerie's act to the student reaction of mocking anyone who suffered such a comeuppance, even a peer. The jock looked at him, a note of condescension in his eyes.

"Heh, dude, you gonna let your girlfriend fight all your battles for you?" The jock said.

Danny knew he was being called a wimp. He wasn't sure where he managed to pluck his response from, but it came, as Danny assumed a cool glance in response.

"…Sure. Why not? She seems to be good at it." Danny said, glancing at the still agonizing Dash.

"SOYLENT GREEN! What on earth is going on here?" An all too familiar voice rang out, and then Mr. Lancer pushed his way through the milled students.

His eyes flicked from Dash, to Valerie and Danny, to Dash again, and then the open door behind the pair, and then to Valerie and Danny.

As Dash saw Mr. Lancer, and despite his still considerable pain, managed to toss a counter their way as he pointed at the two.

"They were making out in the closet!"

"WHAT?" Danny and Valerie said in the same outraged voice, as the students began to chatter around them.

"QUIET! ENOUGH! All students, back to your classes! Nurse, help Mr. Baxter! Mr. Fenton, Miss Gray, my office. NOW."

"But…" Valerie protested.

"No talking! More marching!" Mr. Lancer said, pointing.

The words Valerie mumbled under her breath as she walked to the office with Danny were ones Danny was surprised Valerie knew.

* * *

"All right, now that we are away from all that chaos, perhaps you'd like to give your side of what happened?" Mr. Lancer said as he sat at his desk, Valerie and Danny in chairs before him. 

"Dash was lying!" Danny spluttered.

"Mr. Baxter was also lying prone on the ground grasping his genitals, so while anything he said's authenticity may be called into question the fact that something occurred is not." Mr. Lancer said. "Now…why were you two in the broom closet?"

"Hiding!" Danny blurted out.

"So you confirm you two WERE in the broom closet?" Mr. Lancer said. Danny's eyes widened as he realized he'd fallen into a minor trap.

"Yes! No! We were in there for hiding! Just the two of us! I mean, it wasn't planned! Wolf! Just wanted to get away…wait no, I mean…!" Danny babbled, as Mr. Lancer watched, his stern teacher gaze covering the mildest hint of amusement.

"Danny, quiet." Valerie said, and Mr. Lancer's eyes flicked to the girl. While Danny was a lawyer's dream, self-destructing under a few leading questions, Valerie remained as cool as a cucumber. "I know what you're trying to find out, and I know you think teenagers shouldn't engage in such activities on school property, if at all, and I know you think that teenagers would naturally lie to cover it up. So I'll let the evidence speak for itself. All you have is the so called evidence of Dash, which is clearly hearsay."

"Been watching Law and Order, I see, Miss Gray." Mr. Lancer said.

"Among other things. Evidence is what matters Mr. Lancer. So tell me, do you see my makeup smeared, or any of it on Danny?"

Mr. Lancer checked. His eyes could have stood in for a security X-Ray.

"…No." He admitted.

"Do you see our clothing, disheveled in any way?"

"…No."

"Then really, what evidence do you have? We were hiding from the ghost, nothing more. Do you want more proof? What on earth could you want? Do you want to check my purse for condoms?" Valerie said, as she tossed said purse on the desk.

It was up to debate who turned redder: Danny or Mr. Lancer. Valerie grinned to herself: she'd known that would catch the old prude off guard.

"…Um…no Miss Gray…that will not be necessary…I guess you have…proved your case." Mr. Lancer said. "Though I must say…if you are…you really shouldn't. Not for a few years, if you catch my drift and my advice."

"I'll take that into consideration. Can we go?" Valerie said, standing up like they'd already been dismissed.

"You can Miss Gray. Mr. Fenton, stay here."

Danny's eyes went wide again, as Valerie arched an eyebrow. But she couldn't exactly tell Mr. Lancer that she defied him and drag Danny out, so in the end she left.

"Look sir…" Danny said as Mr. Lancer glanced at him again.

"I believe your story boy. I just wanted to ask you what happened to Mr. Baxter. I have a feeling that asking Miss Gray would result in…unnecessary vitriol…" Mr. Lancer said, glancing after Valerie.

"…Oh. Well Dash saw us and made some, um, 'unrefined' comments about what he assumed the incident was…and Valerie took offense."

"I gathered as much." Mr. Lancer said, and sighed. "You know, I once thought that Mr. Baxter had a basically decent core, but some days I wonder…" Mr. Lancer mused to himself for a bit before realizing Danny was still there. "Well then, that will be all, Mr. Fenton. Though I must say, what was assumed? Don't make it reality."

"Um…yes sir. Of course." Danny said. Mr. Lancer then gave him an odd look.

"Miss Gray, Fenton? I must say I am a bit…taken aback. Not what I was expecting."

"Uh…yeah. We seem to be…getting that a lot." Danny said as he stumbled out in his eagerness to get away.

"So what'd he want?" Valerie asked out in the hallway.

"Just uh, what happened to Dash. He thought your view might be 'biased'." Danny said.

"Damn straight." Valerie said, and sighed herself, looking around, seeing the occasional glance and at least one brief finger point. "This wasn't exactly the way I wanted it to happen."

"Me neither." Danny said.

"Why they would feel the need to devote so much attention to us…doesn't make any sense to me." Valerie said.

"It's school."

"Point. Well you know what they say Danny." Valerie said, as she suddenly took his hand in hers. "If you've got it, flaunt it."

And so until they parted for class, Danny and Valerie walked down the school hand in hand.

* * *

_Well, on the plus side, at least our plan worked, and Valerie still seems none the wiser about my 'connection' to the Phantom. As for the school…well, they would have found out anyway. And I am beginning to be able to care less and less what they think._

_Still, we still need to try and find out how Valerie forgot. And let's not forget Nathan, Valerie's little stalker in training. I don't know what I'm going to do about that yet._

_I'll figure it out later though. I owe a friend a playdate._

_The Phantom, off to the Ghost Zone…

* * *

_

"Ok Tucker, starting to get a bit annoyed now." Danny said as he, Tucker, and Sam sat in the Fenton kitchen the next day. The whole house was still chilled due to his parents' continued experiments on the Fenton Face, and though it was a bit more comfortable then last time white mist still came out of the mouths of the teenagers every time they talked. Which Tucker wasn't doing much of: he was lost in a graphic novel.

"Hang on Danny, I'm getting to the good part." Tucker said, his eyes darting back and forth.

"Tucker, you've read that darn Ultimates graphic novel so many times that I've somehow got it memorized due to your insane amount of knowledge somehow spilling out of your head and…going into mine…or something." Danny said as he lost the point of his comment. "Yeah it's cool, I've read it myself, I know that, so please could you stop reading it and help me?"

"Hang on…almost there…ahhhhhhh…" Tucker said. "Oh Captain America, I want to have your manbabies."

"Yeah yeah, Captain America's a badass extraordinaire and he makes fun of foreign countries in the process, put it away!" Danny said, slapping the novel down. "Ok, first order of business: are we still clueless on how Valerie forgot my secret?"

"Clueless."

"Clueless."

"Ok that went quickly. Next order of business: Nathan." Danny said. "How are we going to deal with him?"

"I missed the part where he became a problem." Sam said.

"Sam…he's bothering Valerie, and I'd like him to stop, and I said I'd talk to him, and I don't know what to say." Danny said.

"Actually Danny, I believe the correct recollection was 'You didn't get to say much of anything because Nathan found out you're dating Valerie and hence became your mortal enemy for life in his own cute nerdy way'." Tucker said.

"Ha ha Tucker. That doesn't help me. He won't listen to me, Valerie's tried being nice, mean, ignorant…nothing is working! What else can I do?"

"What do you usually do?" Tucker asked.

"Well normally when I'm desperate I kick butt and throw them back into the Ghost Zone. But somehow, in this case, that strikes me as murder."

"I think that's a valid legal interpretation." Tucker said.

"How about hurting him? Is hurting him an option?" Sam asked.

"What? NO!" Danny yelled, amazed at the question.

"Yeah I know. Just testing. Heh heh…" Sam chuckled. Danny sighed, a bit taken aback. That wasn't like Sam.

"Guys, I know to an outsider the obsession may seem kind of funny, but I've seen enough in both my ghost fighting and my television habits to know it could grow into something uglier. I want to nip this in the bud."

"Ok…maybe you could bribe him?"

"I doubt it."

"We could talk to him?"

"That would be a good idea Sam, but considering the lack of attractive women who talk to him he could end up obsessing on you."

"Ahhhh…right. No going that way." Sam said.

"Why don't you just use the whole ghost thing to your advantage and scare the daylights out of him?" The Box Ghost said.

"Yes but the thing is…ACK!" Danny said, whirling around as he heard the voice. It was indeed the Box Ghost, floating by the fridge. The lack of heat in Danny's house had kept him from noticing his ghost sense.

Strangely, the Box Ghost didn't look angry or aggressive. Indeed, he was actually looking over the door in the middle of going through the fridge.

"What the hell…!" Danny said anyway.

"Oh you know the spiel. I am the Box Ghost! Beware! Fear me! And all that jazz…" The Box Ghost said as he turned back to nosing around in the fridge. "Don't mind me, I just wanted to raid your fridge."

"…what?" Danny said, confused.

"It seems like a simple concept, like the construction of a box!" The Box Ghost said, as he finished making a huge sandwich from various fridge foods. "Just do what we do and threaten to drop him off of something."

"No no, the fridge thing." Danny said.

"Oh. Well you see, as GREAT and MARVELOUS as boxes are, they cannot do EVERYTHING, like keep food FRESH, so a REFRIGERATOR is based on the CONCEPT that food remains FRESH longer if kept at a low temperature…"

"NO! WHY ARE YOU STEALING MY FOOD!" Danny yelled. The Box Ghost yelped and his sandwich parts flew everywhere.

"Um…I am the Box Ghost! Fear Me! And…let me eat because every restaurant in town has chased me out by throwing stuff at me."

Danny hopped off his chair and transformed. The Box Ghost gulped.

"Um…give into your kind and generous nature and let me have a snack here?" The Box Ghost asked.

A blast of ectoplasm slightly singed the wall next to the Box Ghost's head.

"Maybe you've been hanging around with the cafeteria worker ghost too long, but the expression holds true Box Ghost: there's no such thing as a free lunch." Danny said. "However, I'm in a good mood, so I'll make you an offer. Go back to the Ghost Zone on your own, and I won't kick it back into it. This offer expires in three seconds." Danny said, and then grinned wickedly, inspired by Valerie. "Unfortunately it just took me seven seconds to say all that."

"AH! GOING! GONE!" The Box Ghost said, as he phased through the floor. Danny chuckled and flew over to close the door, before transforming back, fetching a broom, and cleaning up the fallen food.

"I swear it won't be long before he's the amusing sidekick instead of the not-really-that-amusing enemy." Danny said as he finished and walked back to the table.

The Box Ghost popped back up through the floor.

"BEWARE!"

And then he was gone again.

"…Right." Danny said, and sat back down.

"Mr. Cardboard Obsession has a point Danny. Why don't you just scare him?" Tucker asked.

"That was the first thing I thought of Tucker, but once I gave it more thought I realized that it could be more trouble then it's worth. Telling people with obsessions to back off sometimes works, and sometimes it just focuses the obsession. If I show up and scare Nathan's pants off, I could very well set his mindset into 'If I can't have you, NOBODY will.'"

"Aren't you attributing a little too much possible malevolence here? Nathan is just a face in the geek crowd." Sam said.

"Right, and all we need for him is to say the wrong thing in Desiree's presence and suddenly he's Nathan Black, Prince of all Ghost-Squishers or something." Danny said. "I'm not saying it WOULDN'T work…but the way I look at it it seems like too much of a dice roll."

"What you need is someone with a higher understand of basic humanity." Tucker said.

"I'll get Jazz." Sam said, standing up.

"No wait Sam…wait…not Jazz." Danny said, as another idea occurred to him. "Yeah Tucker. Someone familiar with humanity…and its dark side…and without qualms on manipulating it for the greater good. I think I know just who to talk to!" Danny said as he jumped up and ran out of the room.

He returned a few seconds later.

"I just realized I have no idea where I left it. Do any of you remember where I left my, uh, 'special phone'?"

"You didn't keep it in your room?" Tucker asked.

"I did, but Jazz and I were playing with the features one day and our parents came home and we didn't want them to see it so we played a game of keep-away and…well it's a very long and boring story but the end result is, can you guys help me look?"

"Sure Danny. What are friends for?" Tucker said.

* * *

_What are friends for?_

The four words kept ringing through Sam's head. Was she watching it all slip away? By her actions now, in aiding Danny with Valerie, was she completely ruining anything happening with her? Would it say any less of her then not putting in a full effort in said aid? She'd lied, somewhat, on her 'Just Testing' question. In reality a small part of her had hoped that Danny would be willing to resort to violence for Valerie. That would show he was clearly not himself, and in that there might be a sign that his forming relationship was potentially built on nothing but smoke and mirrors…and two seconds after saying the question, she realized how much she was grasping at straws. And just why.

It was those feelings that guided her now. Danny had also said, theorizing about Nathan, the old phrase 'If I can't have you, then no one will'. It brought to mind another phrase: you don't realize what you have until it's gone. Nothing crystallizes a feeling like loss.

True, Danny wasn't dead or under a curse that said he could never be with another woman, but as Sam watched the relationship gel instead of crashing and burning or dissolving into a revenge plot…it had finally clarified her confusion. How she truly felt.

And now it was too late.

So to speak.

One thing Sam was NOT going to do was openly interfere with the relationship. Her hidden feelings were one thing, but beyond that she was still Danny's friend. She had no right to do so, no matter how justified her reasons might seem to herself.

But that didn't mean she couldn't poke around and make sure for herself there weren't any holes in the bonding. Heck, it wasn't like she was going to exploit them. Just…warn Danny if she found them. For his sake, more then hers. Yes, that was justified. Wasn't it?

Right?

Great, now those reasons were as murky as her feelings once were. Well, Sam figured she would just have to keep putting one foot in front of the other. And see what others thought, as she knocked on Jazz's door. One thing about the search: it had let her slip away from the boys.

Jazz answered silently, as she saw Sam and then looked around to make sure she was alone.

"Hey Sam." She finally said.

"Hey Jazz."

"Come in." Jazz said, inviting the Goth girl in. "I take it you're here to see if I've figured anything out."

"Yeah."

"Well, as far for why Valerie has suddenly forgotten, I haven't nailed anything down and I doubt I can. The time travel thing seems most likely, if bizarre…but my thoughts on the subject have turned up…something. But you may not like it."

"…Tell me anyway."

"All right." Jazz said as she got a piece of paper. "You wondered why Valerie made the step she did. Well…I think I may have a reason. And it ties into her seeming forgetting." Jazz said, as she drew two crude Dannies, one normal and one ghost, and then a happy Valerie and an angry Valerie next to each one. "Ok, here we have the situation before the time travel. Valerie kinda likes Danny but hates Danny's ghost half."

"Yeah."

"Each is a kind of attraction, with different dressings, so to speak. Love and hate are quite closely linked, though it's much easier for love to become hate then vice-versa. Anyway, the time travel event happens. Valerie finds out that Danny and her ghost are one and the same." Jazz said, drawing an arrow between the two. "However, the situation is so chaotic that she puts her dislike on the back burner. And she never gets a chance to take it off, because then the memory anomaly occurs, quite possibly due to a ripple effect of the timeline changing or something. However…I don't think the memory disappeared."

"Really?"

"In a sense. Much like energy cannot be created or destroyed, it can only be transferred to one state to another. There are two states to the human mind: the conscious and the subconscious, each with its own areas of memory. And as you may have read, children who suffer trauma, such as sexual abuse, may repress the memory of the event. However, like before, the memory doesn't just disappear. It's still there, just buried. And it can affect your everyday life. And I'd say forcible change of recall due to chronological manipulation counts as a trauma. So, the memory of the secret disappears into the murk." Jazz said, scribbling over the arrows pointing to each one. "Now, you're saying Valerie didn't see Danny again until the mall."

"Yeah."

"All right then. Based on what I've theorized, here is what may have happened. Valerie is drawn to Danny and the Phantom, each for a different reason. Her knowledge of the truth has disappeared inside the subconscious. However, while her conscious mind may not be aware of it, her subconscious mind is, much like a therapy victim may honestly not remember sexual abuse but still feel the mental effects of it. She sees Danny, and a reaction occurs. Not only does her conscious mind like him, but her subconscious mind is also drawn to him, because it knows he's the Phantom. But since her conscious mind doesn't have the proper…information on the nature of the attraction, it attributes it to what it believes: she likes Danny Fenton. And in such a mental bumping, the two attractions merge."

Sam blinked.

"So you're basically saying that Valerie's time-forgotten memories may have inadvertently made her MORE attracted to Danny."

"So to speak. She still doesn't like the Phantom, right?"

"Yep."

"That's her conscious mind again. Her subconscious drew her to Danny because he is the Phantom, but her conscious mind attributed the feelings to attraction. Hence, the arrow now goes more in one way." Jazz said as she drew a big arrow over her scribbles pointing to normal Danny.

"So her feelings are artificial?"

"…No Sam. Not really. How can I explain this…well, an example comes to mind. Your friend Tucker's a techno-geek. Has he ever played the X-Box game _Knights of the Old Republic_?"

"Yeah he had a brief obsession with it."

"Yeah I had a short-lived boyfriend who was obsessed with it too. You recall the plot?"

"Should we recite it in case someone reading it has heard of the game and wants to play it but hasn't heard of the fatal plot twist?"

"If anyone like that is out there, they would be advised to skip the next three lines."

"Ok, yeah I remember. You're a warrior with no memory, and you find out you're really one of the villains of the piece, Darth Revan, who had done terrible things until the Jedi Council captured him/her and wiped the person's memory."

"Yes, and depending on how you play you can be good or bad. If you chose to be good, does the fact you were once evil negate your good and render it false and artificial because you were once evil and you no longer remember the fact?"

"…No…I suppose not." Sam said, as she realized that door was closing for her.

"What's happened is similar. Part of her dislike has morphed into attraction. It's probably why she made a move…but the rest is just her and Danny Sam. I wish there was something I could do for you, but…"

"Yeah. I know. It's ok…it's ok." Sam said. The fact that she was staring at the sheets of Jazz's bed made it clear that she didn't really think it was all ok.

Jazz put a comforting hand on her shoulder.

"Whatever happens, Danny does care for you Sam. Don't let this get you down."

"…Always a bridesmaid, never a bride?" Sam asked, as it was the only allegory she could think of.

"Maybe. Anyway, I'll think it over some more. For you."

"Thanks Jazz."

"No problem. Now you better get back to Danny and Tucker before they notice you're missing."

* * *

Danny and Tucker hadn't noticed; they were too busy searching. Three minutes after Sam rejoined them, they finally found what they were looking for among their father's ghost equipment. 

"I guess Mom found it and thought dad built it." Danny said.

"But the word Fenton isn't on it." Tucker pointed out.

"…Well um…in any case, let's go up to my room and call."

* * *

"…You want help with your relationship." 

"Yes."

Noel Collins, aka Savior of the Teen Titans, interlaced his fingers and leaned back in his chair, looking at the faces of the three teenagers on screen. Danny Fenton had called them, using the T-Communicator that Savior and his group had given them at the end of the Flammadea incident, and of all people, they wanted to talk to him. And considering the reason they had given for the fact, Noel was even more surprised.

"Danny…just a point. We gave you that to call for help in a situation that was too much for you. It wasn't really supposed to be used for…dating advice."

"It's a bit more then that Noel…"

"You're alone, right?"

"Yes, yes."

"Just checking. Ok, then. I suppose I owe you a few more things considering our past history. And it's not like vandals are trying to burn our building down. What's the situation?"

Danny explained him, Valerie, and Nathan. Near the end, Noel noticed they were all looking amused. Noel had a feeling it wasn't due to anything he was doing.

"Well Danny…I suppose I could help with the situation. But perhaps some other people would like to chime in. Wouldn't they, Gauntlet?" Savior said as he spun around in his chair, revealing the irreverent teen behind him. He'd been making faces for the past 25 seconds, hence the three teen's amusement.

"Yeah! Tell him he's lucky he HAS a girlfriend!" Gauntlet said.

"Duly noted." Savior said as he spun his chair back around. "You're probably right on the scaring him outright won't work theory Danny. People with such emotions are tricky."

"Ohhhhh, I know! Danny could go Batman on him!" Gauntlet volunteered. Savior glanced over his shoulder.

"How so Gauntlet?"

"You know, dangle him off a building until he promises to stop."

Savior looked exasperated.

"Oh come on, I bet that was the first thing you'd do."

"One, I already said that outright fear probably wouldn't be effective or necessary. Two…"

"You're arguing against it? Come on! It's not like there's any law against it!"

"I seem to recall abducting people against their will and threatening assault being illegal."

"Not if you don't have a social security number, and they don't give those to ghosts."

"…Danny's HALF-ghost!" Noel blurted, now thoroughly annoyed.

"So he only has four or five digits then? Great! Makes him even harder to track!"

"No Batman dangling! Not for this! Will you get out of here!" Savior said, shoving Gauntlet off screen and returning to his chair.

"Why couldn't he have come along when you visited?" Tucker commented.

"Do I really need to answer that question for you?" Noel replied. "All right Danny, let me make sure I have this straight. You have a 'geek' with an obsessive crush on Valerie. You say outright scaring him won't work. You're right. However, fear could be used to your advantage. The problem with people like that is they won't accept straight messages. You need to wrap it in a certain kind of packaging. Kind of like using a spoonful of ice cream to swallow a pill."

"Great. How do I do that?"

"Well Danny, you're in luck. I have an idea. Get a piece of paper, this requires a few steps…"

* * *

Nighttime. 

The home of Nathan Notimportantenoughtobegivenalastnameyet.

The room was what many people would consider a nerd's room to be like: filled with trinkets of the 'trade' and of course a shrine to Valerie. Nathan slept peacefully on his bed, holding a Cylon plushie.

Then a dull light infused the room.

"Nathan……."

Nathan muttered in his sleep.

"Nathan…Naaaaatttttthhhhhhannnnnnnn…"

Nathan snorted lightly.

Danny kicked the end of the bed.

"AH! WHAT! AHHHHHHHH!" Nathan screamed as he saw the blurry shape at the end of the bed. He fumbled for his glasses and put them on, and screamed again at what he saw.

Which was a floating pink sheet topped off by the face of a strange generic looking man. In reality, Danny wearing a sheet borrowed from his sister and his parent's still unfinished Fenton Face.

"Who are you?" Nathan gasped.

"Nathan, I am the Ghost of Love!" Danny declared.

"Love is dead?" Nathan asked.

"….Um…" Danny said, caught off guard.

"You can't be the Ghost of Love, or else there would be no love in the world, much less in my heart!"

"Of for the love of…kid, I'm just doing a job, not serving as an abstract concept, you dolt."

"Oh." Nathan said. "Why are you here?"

"Nathan…your feelings have called me…it is very rare for me to appear to mortals, but what flows through you has been brought to my attention…"

"You mean Valerie will go to the prom with me?"

"NO!" Danny yelled. "I mean…I'm sorry, but Valerie Gray is just not interested. Due to how you feel…"

"LIAR!" Nathan yelled, jumping on his bed. "You seek to destroy the greatest thing in my life! You are a false ghost, and I'll prove it by putting this wooden state through your heart!" Nathan yelled as he yanked a wooden stake from his dresser drawer and lunged at Danny.

Wait not, Danny hadn't misheard: it really WAS a wooden state. A replica of Tennessee, Danny noticed.

He went intangible anyway, as you might have guessed, and Nathan fell off the end of his bed and thudded on the floor with an 'Oof.'

"One, that's vampires moron. Two, what if I'd just been some guy? You would have killed me!"

"That was the point blasphemer! My love is written in the stars!" Nathan said, getting up.

"Nathan…I am the Ghost of Love. What's YOUR source?"

"My medium! She told me so."

"Kid, for five bucks a minute, your medium would have told you you were the world's greatest lover."

"…Funny, that's what my mom said too." Nathan said.

"Look, sit down kid, and listen!" Danny said as he went around Nathan and shoved him onto the bed. "While your love may be true, it is misguided. Valerie Gray is not your true love! By focusing so much attention on her, you stand a strong chance of never meeting her, and then you will be alone, forever!"

"But I feel so strongly!"

"Kid, you're a teenager and a nerd with little to no prospects! Looking at a Hieronymus Bosch painting would get a rise out of you!" Danny said. "Valerie Gray is not meant for you! But your feelings are so strong, and so deserving of someone, that I have been called here!"

"So you're going to teach me how to make Valerie love me and go to the prom with me?"

"NO! VALERIE GRAY IS OFF THE TABLE! GET THAT THROUGH YOUR DUMB HORMONE DELUDED LITTLE TEEN BOY HEAD!" Danny roared. "Nathan, she is not meant for you. Obsessing over her will just insure you have no love at all! So I have come to set you on the right path!"

"…So…you're going to tell me who my real true love is?"

"No!"

"Then what's your point?"

"Arrghhh! Look kid, Cupid's the one with the random love job! I speak of true love! True love cannot be predained or prepared for! It just comes! And it will never come to you if you do not stop hounding Valerie Gray!"

"…So…what do I do?"

"That is why I am here Nathan. I will guide you to your real true love, and if you do exactly what I say and do not let your human impatience get in the way, then you will find true happiness!"

"So you're going to be like my personal Emperor Guard?"

"No!" Danny snapped. "I mean…there is much love in the world, and I must guide it all. I cannot stay and see to you personally. But I can give you my own personal guidelines on human love, and your greatest chances of finding yours. If you follow my words, you will one day find a woman who cares for you back. For with Valerie Gray, you are lost." Danny said, as he reached into his sheet and withdrew a folder. "These are my greatest observations for the centuries I have guided human feeling. Follow them and one day rich fruit will be your reward."

"…You printed them out and put them in a clear plastic binder?" Nathan asked, looking at the folder.

"…Yes! Just because I am the Ghost of Love does not mean I cannot utilize modern conveniences!" Danny said. "But I must go, Nathan. I have done all I can here. Listen to my words, or you will find nothing but misery! Now I go! I wish you luck! Love Ghost AWAAAAAAY!" Danny said as he flew through the ceiling.

Nathan sat there, staring.

"…Did all of that just really happen?"

"It happened! Listen to me you dunce!" Danny said as he popped out of the ceiling upside down in front of Nathan, and before Nathan could react he flew back up and away, for real this time.

* * *

Nearby, Tucker turned off his Fenton-Talkie…which was just a Walkie-Talkie (with the word Fenton on it!). A few seconds later, Danny joined them, yanking at the Fenton Face. 

"Gah! My parents need to figure out how to let this thing let your skin breathe before they go any further!" Danny said as he yanked the mask off and removed the tiny Fenton phone he'd had tucked under it, through which Tucker had been reading the script Savior had provided him.

"So how it'd go?" Sam asked.

"I think I made some headway, but with people like that it's hard to tell." Danny said.

"And the 'centuries of observation'?" Sam asked, amused.

"That would be all of Savior's advice on love as well. As he worded it, if Nathan follows all of it chances are by the time he's eighteen he'll be up to his eyeballs in women. And hopefully all of Noel's advice on bad signs will allow him to find someone to spend his life with, hence fulfilling my 'promise of true love'. As long as he leaves Valerie alone. I think I've gone out of my way enough to be nice." Danny said, as he finished folding up the sheet of his disguise. "Anyway, it's the weekend now, so I'll just call him tomorrow and see if I made any headway under the guise of me being Valerie's, uh, good friend and all."

Danny was tucking the sheet away in his backpack, and hence didn't see the brief flash of pain that came over Sam's face at Danny's choice of words.

And he never got a chance, and with a poof a small man wearing a pink suit and a diaper and armed with a bow and arrow and a very cross expression on his face bamfed into existence in front of Danny. His eyes went wide in surprise.

Cupid slapped the ghost teen.

"This is MY job! Back off, bitch!" Cupid snapped, and with another poof he was gone.

"………………………Ok." Danny said. And just when he thought nothing new could surprise him.

* * *

**_Log Entry No 63-Valerie Gray_**

_**The ghost bastard finally came back today…and then he ran away like a little bitch the second I showed up! Augh! That cowardly piece of…next time, he won't get away! Next time, I'll show him that staying and fighting…is…worse then…running away…because of…some…reason…forget it! Next time I kick his butt! He's going down!**_

_**Oh yeah, and the whole school found out about Danny and me. They reacted as I expected they would. Stupid sheep. Well, I don't care what they think. Danny's special, and the fact that THEY can't realize it is THEIR loss.**_

_**He even said he'd talk to Nathan (Creep). I don't know what Danny could say that would help, but the fact that he's willing to try and do something for me, and put more thought into it then 'threat of physical violence' just shows why he's so great.**_

…**_It's getting deeper. I can feel it._**

_**Danny's shy though. So I'll toe the line for now. He'll come along.**_

_**Down the path we walk…**_

…**_I wonder if I should begin preparing to tell him about the other side of me. The kind that hunts ghosts._**

_**Though with school, my job, and Danny…it doesn't seem as urgent now.**_

_**Though I still have some butts to kick.**_

_**And…some other things.**_

_**Log over.

* * *

**_

"So did you get anywhere?" Tucker asked Danny on Monday.

"I'm not sure. I called Saturday, but Nathan's mom said he was in his room and has asked not to be disturbed. So maybe I affected him…or maybe I have awakened his wrath and he's planning to avenge himself on all of those who would keep him from Valerie. Knowing my luck he's probably selling his soul for power right…"

A hand dropped on Danny's shoulder. He nearly punched the dropper out in his surprise.

He was glad he didn't, as he turned around into Valerie planting a kiss right on him. It wasn't quite on his lips, and it was more a kiss of gratitude that Danny might have gotten even if Valerie and him weren't involved and he'd done what he'd done…but it was still a nice surprise.

"I don't know WHAT you said, but you're a miracle worker Danny!" Valerie said.

"…I am?" Danny said.

"Oh don't be modest! You said you'd talk to Nathan. Well he called me Sunday night. Said he was sorry for bothering me and he wouldn't do it any more!"

"Really? And he meant it?"

"Sure sounded like it! You did it! You're the greatest!" Valerie said. "What did you do anyway?"

"Well uh…I just…talked to him. Spoke to him as a fellow man…I guess it worked." Danny said.

"Oh yeah it worked. What HAVEN'T you done for me lately Danny?" Valerie said, batting her eyelashes. Much to his surprise, Danny could think of a few things…and was again glad he was wearing jeans.

"Anyway, I have class now. I'll see you at lunch Danny." Valerie said, as she turned and walked off.

"…Well, looks like the Ghost of Love was a success in his one and only appearance, if we don't want strange bird men showing up and bothering you, anyway." Tucker said. "What was in that folder anyway?"

"Well…most of it was just up front and frank advice. Learn about stuff so you'll be able to talk, take care of your body so you'll have certain standards of attractiveness…learn certain things about women, do this, don't do this, watch for this…you know Savior. He always thinks us mere mortals would be so much better off if he was running our lives instead of us."

"Well, he seems to have helped here." Sam said, as she tried to sound happy, or at least neutral. This was good for Danny. She should accept that.

But it still hurt.

And Sam was beginning to realize if she didn't do something, it could hurt for a long time.

* * *

The Journal of Daniel Fenton, Entry #12 

_History beckons me._

_Ok, that makes it sound much more important then it probably is, but mankind always did have a big head when it came to his own place in existence. Cut me a little slack._

_With Nathan dealt with and helped (I'd like to think), it seems like everything's finally ok these most recent few weeks._

_And with Valerie…_

_Something's going to happen tonight. We have a date again…and this time there's money involved. I won't be wearing a tux, but I won't be wearing casual wear either._

_And provided that nothing explodes, in terms of the town and us…_

…_Well, best not work myself into a state over it._

_It's still been quiet. As you know, Amity Park has been relatively peaceful. My last big battle was my second arranged run-in with Valerie as Danny Phantom, which was considerably less complicated then the first time. I just saw her flying around one night and transformed and tried to go talk to her. She attacked me, I dodged a bit, and told her that if she wanted to hate me, fine, but it said more of her then it did of me, and then I left. I think I disguised my voice well enough, and Valerie seemed poignant the next day at school, so maybe I made some headway._

_I'd like her to know the truth eventually._

_But not tonight._

_Tonight's our night._

_Danny Fenton, off at history's call.

* * *

_

"You're sure you're ok with this?" Danny asked Tucker.

"Hey man, homework's done, games are beaten, latest attempt at _Foley_ is a bust, gotta have something to do on Friday night." Tucker said. The two of them were in Danny's room, as Danny laid out his nice clothes. Danny didn't want anything interfering with the evening, so he had recruited Tucker and Jazz to keep an eye on the portal. Danny had swept the whole town over the past two days and found it ghost free. Anything that was coming, was coming through the portal.

Danny had brought a special phone. Its number was only known to a few people, and only for emergencies. If they absolutely had to, Tucker or Jazz would call Danny. Otherwise, they'd leave him alone. The pretense was Tucker was sleeping over. His parents were so obsessed with perfecting the Face (both swore they ALMOST had it) that Danny could have had a circus over and they wouldn't have noticed, much less noticed Danny missing. He hadn't yet told his parents about him and Valerie. He had his reasons.

Hence when the doorbell rang, he was a bit surprised. He was going to meet Valerie, not vice versa.

"Danny! Sam's here!" His mother called up to him.

"Sam?" Danny said.

"What, you didn't invite her?" Tucker said, a bit confused.

"Invite her to essentially do something to ensure my date goes smoothly? Tucker, that's selfish to the extreme." Danny said, as he headed through the door and downstairs.

* * *

She'd come to her choice. 

"Hey Danny." Sam said as Danny came down the stairs, looking a bit confused.

"Uh, hey Sam. Is something up?"

"Yeah…Danny…" Sam said, and steeled herself. Once she did this, there was no going back.

"I found out about your little group watch…I'd like to help."

"…Help?"

"Keep an eye on things."

"…For me."

"You deserve a quiet night."

"………………Sam, you sure you want to do this?"

"…Yeah. I am Danny."

She was. They say that if you truly love someone, you'll have the strength to let them go. If she couldn't be with Danny, then she'd do what she could to make sure he was happy. In that…she could come to terms with it all.

Jazz had said that it was far too easy for love to turn to hate, and above all else, Sam wouldn't let that happen. If she couldn't express her own love…then she'd help Danny with his.

After all…there was something to be said for karma.

And though his conscious mind didn't grasp the concept, in his eyes Sam could see Danny knew that.

"……Thanks Sam."

"You're welcome Danny." Sam said. "So where's the setup?"

* * *

He watched as the teenager snuck out the back door and set off down the street to the meeting place, dressed nicely, walking in the certain way men do in these situations. Danny was humble enough not to turn it into a strut…but to the watchful eye the walk said it all. 

And the figure stood there, watching the teen, thinking. Danny had hunted for ghosts, but it was child's play to hide from his sweep. He was so much more then a spirit.

And he needed to make his own choice.

* * *

Vlad was in a good mood until he showed up. Tonight was the night! First a Packers game (and they were winning! Yes!) and then finally after so much preparation his revenge would finally happen… 

Until the figure walked in, and immediately Vlad could tell there was a snag.

"We have a problem." The figure said.

"What? What kind of problem?"

Despite the robe completely concealing the figure's features, Vlad could tell he was gravely displeased.

"…Interference."

* * *

And so the figure stood and watched, and waited, and pondered the options. 

And in the end, he decided that he knew what he had to do, as he turned towards the Fenton Household.

* * *

_From the Mind of Jasmine Fenton_

_It looks like Sam has finally managed to make her peace with this. Good for her. I can only guess at her feelings. I always thought her and Danny had something special…but you can never predict the course of life. Who'd have thought that not only would I end up believing in ghosts, but that my brother was partly one?_

_And yet…I am a bit worried._

_I am not a believer in fate. We make our own lives as we live them, based on our education and decisions. All things come from the mind._

_At least that's what I thought until the ghost thing._

_Danny's been through so much lately. That awful fire ghost, then the king ghost, then an evil future self, and whatever he went through in the time travel thing…he deserves happiness. He's found it with Valerie._

_But as the saying goes…it's quiet. TOO quiet._

_As I sit her and jot these notes before I join Tucker and Sam and provide a cover if my parents find them Dannyless, I can't help but wonder. I've picked Danny's brain a few times. I know his general fears. Is this a new chapter in his life…or the calm before the storm?_

_After all, we all have happiness and misery in our lives. They balance each other. Balance is needed. Too much of anything…even good…can create a vacuum…_

_And you know the other saying…_

_…Nature abhors a vacuum.

* * *

_

Such worries never touched Danny's mind.

Everything had gone great. They could afford the food, it actually tasted good (though not much better then a hamburger: Danny figured it was probably a mindset thing), Valerie looked lovely, and the phone hadn't rung all night.

After dinner, they'd just gone for a walk through the park, watching the stars, not saying anything, letting their held hands be their only needed contact. In the end, Danny had hailed a cab and taken Valerie back to her home.

"I had a great time Danny." Valerie said. Her eyes had that sultry cast again, made even more so in the moonlight. Danny felt nervous…but less so then normal. As if he knew the flow.

"I did too." Danny said. "…Well…um…you better get in before your Dad notices you're gone."

"My dad's working tonight." Valerie said.

Those were all the words that needed to be said, as the two looked at each other.

Danny started leaning in, as Valerie tilted her head up slightly and closed her eyes…

And then the phone in Danny's pocket rang.

Valerie's eyes snapped open, as Danny jumped. Mood ruined.

"You didn't turn off your phone?" Valerie said in disbelief.

"No! Well…this is just for emergencies!" Danny said, a bit annoyed himself. "This should just be used if my father had a heart attack or…hello?" Danny said as he answered the phone.

Valerie's aggravation vanished instantly as she saw Danny listen to whoever was on the other side of the line…as within five seconds his face had turned ash-gray.

"Oh no…" He whispered. "No."

"Danny? What's wrong?" Valerie said, concerned.

"Home emergency! I'm so sorry Val, but I have to go NOW!" Danny yelled as he ran away from her.

"Wait! I'll call you another cab!" Valerie called after him.

"NO TIME! HAVE TO GO!" Danny yelled back, as he sprinted across the street and was around a corner before Valerie knew it.

She stared after him, feeling shocked, worried for him, and disappointed. And it had been such a nice night…

With a sigh, Valerie went inside, pondering if she should wait by the phone in case Danny wanted to call her. You never knew when tragedy was going to strike, and when you'd need someone there for you.

* * *

Danny waited two seconds until he was out of Valerie's sight when he transformed and took off into the sky. He was pretty sure he broke all his personal speed records on his way home, but he didn't care. 

It was obvious that from the garbled, panicked phone call he had gotten from Jazz that something was seriously wrong.

And when he got to his house, he realized he was far too late.

One was the fact there were police and fire trucks around, not to mention an ambulance. The second was the giant hole in the side of his home. It was like someone had taken a wrecking ball to the structure.

Danny had enough sense to fly down, transform back, and run the rest of the way as a human. There was a blockade around the door, as Danny pushed through the gawkers and ran for it.

"Hey kid! You can't…!" A cop yelled.

"I live here!" Danny yelled as he ducked around another officer and ran in through the front door. "Mom! Dad! Jazz!"

"Danny!" Came the cry, and a second later his mother was hugging him fiercely. "Where were you? I was worried sick!"

"Mrs. Fenton! Careful!" Came some stranger's voices, and then hands came down on the woman's shoulders. "We haven't finished checking you yet."

"What happened?" Danny asked.

"Oh Danny…just stay calm. Everything will be all right." Maddie Fenton said as she was led away by some paramedics.

Danny's search turned up his father and Tucker being examined on the nearby couch. Before Danny could do anything though, he found himself being pulled aside into a hallway.

"Jazz!" He said. "What's going on? What happened?"

"Oh Danny…I tried…" Jazz said.

"Tried what?"

"…Someone attacked us. He tore through all the defenses like they were toys…mom and dad tried to stop him but he tossed them around like they were rag dolls…they were helpless before him…we all were…"

"Who? Who did this?"

"…I don't know. I didn't recognize him among any of your foes…he was huge…had armor…he was…appallingly powerful…the weapons did nothing…"

Danny looked sick.

"What happened to our parents? To Tucker…to…" Danny trailed off. Jazz looked miserable.

"Mom and Dad and Tucker will be ok. Just bruises suffered…but Danny…"

"…No." Danny said, fearing the worst.

"…It's Sam."

"No." Danny said.

"…He took her."

"…What?" Danny said.

"He kidnapped her. That was…the whole point of the attack. He took her away." Jazz said.

_Nature abhors a vacuum…_

Danny blinked, as the whole thing sank in. Someone had waited until he was away…and then he'd gone after his family, his friends…he'd taken Sam.

…There were a lot of things Danny was going to do, and all of them involved pain.

_To Be Continued_


	4. Part 4

Part 4 

"Danny, stop it. You're going to give yourself a stroke."

"And what else should I do? Stand still? Accept this…this…ARGH!" Danny snarled to himself, and resumed his rapid pacing. If he'd been alone at the house, he would have transformed and taken off ASAP as soon as he found out that Sam had been taken. But police had surrounded him, and as a result Danny had found himself being dragged along to the hospital as the ambulance took Tucker and his parents there. Not that Danny wasn't concerned about them, he was, but the fact that his mother had been able to walk over to him and his dad and Tucker had been being examined while they were sitting up indicated their injuries were minor. Well, in a sense. Tucker was the least hurt: the ghost has tossed him across the room into Danny's father. His mother had bruised ribs at least, possibly a few cracked or maybe a broken one, and his dad might have a concussion. The Fenton household had suffered the most damage: whatever had taken Sam had also torn apart all the defense and security equipment. So it wasn't like Danny didn't care. But he'd been in the hospital for 90 minutes now, 90 pointless minutes where he wasn't needed, only there more so for the sake that it was against some law or another to leave minors alone in the house after their parents had suffered injury then any actual use. The police had come by and interviewed Jazz about what had happened, but her scrambled recollection, as well as the fact that what had caused the damage clearly wasn't human had had them all but on the verge of outright saying 'I don't think we can do anything here'. For all that had happened, it was still rather hard to report a crime in Amity as 'A ghost did it.'

That had only increased Danny's aggravation, and he longed to go into action. Now, in the waiting room, which was empty (it was a quiet night besides what had happened at Fentonworks), Danny had gone from sitting and wringing his hands to actively stalking around the room. Anything to keep himself from the truth: even though he dearly wanted to go into action, he had no idea where to begin.

Though he thought a good place would be to go into the Ghost Zone and tear everything apart until someone dropped a name, a plan, anything. Anything was better then just sitting here, helpless. When he got his powers, for all the problems that befell him, Danny had never recalled being helpless…at least in a way that he couldn't escape from, given some thought.

"Jazz, are you SURE it wasn't any of my enemies?" Danny asked. "Big, armor…you're sure it wasn't Pariah Dark?"

"No Danny…it wasn't him. He…wasn't a big as Pariah…or maybe he was…it happened so fast, I got so confused…but no…not Pariah…can't remember…"

"Ok then. Give me a description." Danny said.

"…Well, big. Bigger then you Danny. Weightlifter size. And he had armor…full body armor, helmet included…a cloak…he used a…"

And then a blast of chilly air escaped from Danny's mouth. Jazz's eyes went wide: she knew what that meant…

Though of all the 'people' they were expecting, who showed up had to be the last on their list.

"I am the Box Ghost…"

The spirit hadn't even finished phasing through the floor when Danny was transformed and ramming into him, grabbing a fistful of his shirt as he slammed the spirit against the wall.

"THIS. IS. A BAD. TIME." Danny hissed, his eyes glowing bright green as ectoplasmic energy erupted on his free hand.

"AH! NO NO! NO!" The Box Ghost wailed, cringing away from Danny. "I'M JUST THE MESSENGER!"

"Messenger…" Danny growled, honestly considering kicking the heck out of the Box Ghost anyway. In the end he demurred for two reasons: it wasn't like him, and he'd seen the future Box Ghost and he didn't need to give the spirit a grudge to focus on to become that anyway and kick Danny's ass all over Amity Park.

"All right, talk." Danny said, letting go.

"I am the…"

"YOUR INTRODUCTION IS NOT NEEDED!"

"Ah!" The Box Ghost said. "Danny Phantom…I have been given this by a strange unknown spirit. He asked me to bring it to you…"

The Box Ghost was back up on the wall, Danny grabbing him with both hands this time.

"WHO IS HE!" Danny roared.

"AHHHHH! I DON'T KNOW! I'VE NEVER SEEN HIM BEFORE! DON'T HURT ME!" The Box Ghost whimpered. Jazz watched in surprise. She'd known Danny could muster the occasional game face, but she'd never realize just how intimidating he could be when he was angry.

"Describe him!"

"He used some kind of distortion effect on me! All I could tell was that he was big!"

Danny thought it over, and then let the Box Ghost go. The spirit crumpled, fumbling in his overalls.

"Here's the message! I was told to bring it to you! That's all I know!" The Box Ghost said, cringing back even as he offered said message, as if he expected another blow.

"…All right. Get out of here." Danny said, taking the message.

"…Danny Phantom…"

"I KNOW I KNOW, BEWARE! GET!"

"…No no."

The Box Ghost floated back up.

"I say 'Beware!' when you and I part company…but this time it has a different meaning. Whoever this strange spirit is, Danny Phantom…he's strong."

"I gathered."

"No! You do not! You have not stood in his presence! Against him, even the might of the box…is nothing." The Box Ghost said. "If you pursue him Danny Phantom…well, now more then ever. Beware."

And with that the Box Ghost is gone.

Danny transformed back to normal in case anyone walked in to see what the racket was. The message was a scroll…a very old looking scroll that Danny had to untie and unravel.

"What's it say?"

"…Mr. Fenton. By now you are all too familiar with the lengths I will go to acquire your attention. Therefore you will listen to my words now, and listen well." Danny said. "On the outskirts of the west side of Amity Park is a large building that once served as the center of justice to a now abolished township, build by a generous and very foolish millionaire of the time who assumed it would make him immortal. It is now abandoned and broken down. You will proceed there posthaste. You will come alone, with no friends, no communications sent, no plans made or put into action, no gear to signal or assist you, or anything else besides your own person. If you do not obey my rules to the letter, I will have no qualms sending your friend back to you…piece…by piece…" Danny said, gritting his teeth even as his fingers clenched on the document. "That's all it says."

"Oh Danny." Jazz said. "I'm…I wish I could have…"

"You couldn't have. None of you could have. But I can do something now." Danny said, as he turned and started leaving the room.

"Danny wait! It could be a trap!"

"It IS a trap. But they're going to find that the reverse holds true as well." Danny said, as he continued to walk.

Jazz dashed in front of him and tried to stop him.

"Danny! You can't go alone! This entity…"

"Is going to REGRET messing with me and mine. Let me go Jazz. Let me go and do what I can do."

Jazz stared into her brother's eyes, amazed at what she saw there. So much emotion…and under it pure steel. Was this the expression he had worn in his final battles with Sizzle, and in his later great battles? If it was…did she have any right, any chance, of standing between Danny and what he felt was right?

"…Ok." Jazz said, and stepped aside.

"Find Tucker. Tell him the truth. Then find Mom and Dad, tell them I went home to wait for word on Sam." Danny said, as he headed for the nearest elevator.

"But Danny…what do I tell them if…you don't come back at all?" Jazz said.

Danny glanced back at Jazz as he went into the open elevator and pressed the button.

"…Not in the plan." Danny said.

And then the door closed, and he was gone.

And a minute later, the door on the roof of the hospital slammed open as Danny sprinted through. He was still dressed in his nice clothes from the now long-forgotten date. Nice clothes that were now wrinkled, splattered with dirt, and generally in need of a cleaning.

Danny tossed off his jacket as he ran for the edge.

"You want me mysterious stranger? Fine! You got me!" Danny thought out loud, as he lifted a fist and clenched it. "And everything that goes with it!"

Danny leapt off the roof.

And the circle blazed to life at his fist, running up his arm and then over his entire body, ending at his head as his hair flashed white, and then Danny Phantom took off, flying across the skies of Amity Park as he headed for his destination.

* * *

Valerie had quickly decided that sitting by the phone wasn't for her. 

Sitting there with her unease and worry eating at her…no. She needed something else. And that something else was obvious.

Her dad was working late that night, as she had said. Instead of spending time with Danny though, she'd use it to do the other thing she did best, as she now patrolled the skies of Amity Park, hunting for ghosts to bring down.

Problem was there wasn't a single ghost in sight. Not even a whisper.

It annoyed Valerie. She needed distraction. She hated being alone with her thoughts in times like these, as she scanned the skies with her high-tech goggles. She'd take anything, even a pawn…

And then life rewarded her, as off in the distance she saw it. The ghost boy, the Phantom.

"Well well." Valerie said. "Wonder what…hey." Valerie said, as she almost lost the spectre. He was moving insanely fast, so fast that if Valerie kept still she'd lose him within seconds.

"Hey, where you going?" Valerie said to herself, as she started to follow, though she held back a considerable distance. The ghost boy flying off like he had the demons of hell snapping at his heels had to have an interesting reason, one she'd have a better chance of learning, and quite possibly stopping, as long as she held back.

Shouldn't be hard. The Phantom hadn't even noticed her, as he flew on, Valerie in pursuit.

* * *

Danny thought he might have some trouble finding the place. In the end it was no trouble: the building the message had led to was literally in the middle of nowhere. The wood buildings and dirt roads that had led to it had long ago been torn down and faded away, but the large stone structure had remained, perhaps because people had thought they might yet find another use for it. And when they had not, it had faded away in its own sense, still standing due to its design but not longer used for its other design. 

It was, as Danny realized, a giant courthouse. He was amazed he'd never seen it before: it was massive, even larger then the general courthouses that small cities like Amity usually had. It must have had enough rooms to try twenty cases a day and house a hundred prisoners. Danny wondered who had built it, just what had driven him to make it so large, how he'd never heard of it before…and how strange it was that Amity Park had all these old abandoned structures lying around either in, around, or at the outskirts of town. Like the town was destined to become what it had become: a battleground.

Danny didn't much care, as he floated down. A giant stone statue of Justice, blind and holding the scales, stood in front of the staircase of the building, the stone in its long process of crumbling to dust with nothing to maintain it. Danny stared at the statue for a second, and then flew past it, up the stairs, and through the shattered front doors.

The inside was an utter wreck, endlessly vandalized and used by squatters over the decades. That, and the great number of rooms, made Danny wonder if he could ever find Sam.

Well, best way to start was to actually start.

"SAMMMMMMMMMMMM!" He called, his voice echoing down the hallways. "SAM! **SAM!**"

"Danny!"

Danny was a bit taken aback. Not only as she replied, she was close. Hell, she was right in front of him.

Through some twisted doors of course. Danny blew them open and flew in.

He entered into what had to be the primary courtroom. A room he shouldn't have been able to see so well, considering the only light was the moon. But a strange light infused the place anyway, a light with a source Danny couldn't place. But he'd figure that out later.

What lay before him was a giant room filled with broken and rotting wooden benches, balconies overhead for more spectators that had never come, and at the front the wooden structure of the bench, the site where the judge himself sat, the jurisdictional seal on the wall behind it long since scratched off…above which floated an orb containing Samantha Manson.

"Sam!" Danny yelled, flying right up to the orb. Sam was on her knees within it: it appeared to be composed of some kind of greenish glass. "Are you all right?"

"I'm fine…"

"I'll get you out of here!" Danny said, as he started pounding on the sphere.

"Don't bother."

The new voice was calm, rich…and cold, and Danny whirled around as the form stepped off the edge of the balcony he had been standing on, slowly floating down to the ground in a billow of black, gold and green cloak, the figure stepping lightly as he landed.

Jazz had been right: he was huge, nearly two heads taller then Danny and nearly twice as wide at the shoulders. His whole body was covered in armor, from his neck to his feet, the armor a golden-green color with its own faint hint of black. The helmet the figure wore looked a tad bit strange though: it looked more like a headdress, long pillars of metal (or whatever it was made of) standing on either side of the form's head…like ears.

The figure, strangely enough, looked human. Indeed, one could almost swear there was an aspect of pretty-boy on the figure's face: it was flawless. In terms of no damage, anyway. The cold, humorless expression the figure, or man, or spirit, Danny wasn't sure, wore almost eliminated his good looks. If he had hair, Danny couldn't see it. He carried a tall staff, on which twin objects swung…and on his back, he carried several more weapons. Talk about being armed to the teeth.

Danny's eyes flashed green, as he clenched his fists.

"Who the hell are you?"

"Greetings, Daniel Fenton, he who walks in two worlds…"

"I SAID WHO THE HELL ARE YOU!"

"Be quiet you impudent child." The figure snapped.

"I'LL SHOW YOU IMPUDENT!" Danny snarled, and blasted at the figure, snapping out his fist.

It hit dead in the center of the figure's chest.

And Danny stopped dead, as the impact shot all the way up his arm. The figure hadn't budged, and he felt like he'd shattered every bone up to his shoulder.

The figure struck him with his staff, and Danny flew backwards, hitting the ground, bouncing off it, and landing on his face.

"Danny!" Sam cried out.

"Are you done expressing your juvenile outrage? I assure you, I will put something behind my next blow." The figure said.

"Bastard…" Danny said as he got up.

"Be silent, Daniel Fenton. You were brought here for an important reason and your anger is not needed."

"Then you shouldn't have beat up my family and kidnapped my best friend. That kind of results in a LOT of anger!" Danny yelled, and fired a twin-handed ecto-blast.

It exploded on the figure. Again, he didn't budge. Indeed, his armor remained spotless, as if Danny hadn't attacked at all.

"That was unfortunate, as I only needed you. But in order to bring you to me, certain ill-fated circumstances became inevitable. If your parents had just let me through instead of insisting to fight…"

"If you actually knew anything about me, you'd know this wasn't inevitable!"

"It was necessary. Now fall silent."

"It's never necessary! If you needed me, you come to ME! You don't go after the people I care about!" Danny snapped, even as a small part of him started to grow extremely worried. He'd put a considerable amount of effort behind both the punch and the blast and the figure had weathered both like an ant was attacking him.

"The only way for your weak, self-absorbed, ignorant little species to understand what is truly important is to show them just what harm will come to what is important to THEM if they do not follow what is needed! Arggrrr! I despite the mindset of mortals!" The figure growled. "If your concern so blinds you child, then know that your friend will not be harmed. Not if you listen."

"Listen to what?" Danny growled.

"As I was saying." The figure said. "Greetings, Daniel Fenton. Allow me to introduce myself. I am Anubis, the Spirit of Judgment."

"…The Egyptian god?" Danny said, his anger briefly cooling with confusion.

"No. I am not the one that the ancient Egyptians worshiped. Over the millennia I have had many names, undergone many changes to my form…this is merely my latest, taken from their mythology. I am older then the Egyptians and their gods." Anubis said. And Danny finally realized just what the headdress/helmet was: long ears, like a jackal, as Anubis was usually portrayed. He also saw just what was placed at the end of Anubis' staff: the scales of judgment, just like the kind the statue of Justice had carried outside.

"…The spirit of judgment." Danny said.

"Indeed. I am as above the apparitions you normally battle as man is above a fish in the ocean. They merely exist in a strange state between life and death, often desiring little then they wanted in life…I exist for a far more important reason. To bring judgment."

"I gathered. One problem." Danny said. "If you're the spirit of judgment, how come I never heard of you? And considering the number of near-death experiences I've been through, I'd have thought I've had gotten an inkling."

"Ah child, if you were not so eager to engage me in battle you would see the truth before you. You are, foolishness aside, a being of virtue. Should your path never change, ours would never cross. When your time comes, there are others to deal with you. I…am charged with a far more grave task."

"And what does that have to do with me?" Danny asked. "Oh, and smashing up my home and hurting my family?"

"An unfortunate result from an unfortunate situation, which I would come to if you didn't stop blabbering about your self-justified indignation." Anubis said.

And then he was suddenly gone.

Sam yelped in surprise, and Danny whirled to find Anubis next to her.

"Hey! Leave her alone!"

"She's not important, a means to an end. What matters is you, Danny Fenton, and what you have done."

"What did I do?"

"…Nothing you could have prevented, I suppose…but something you must yet answer to." Anubis said, as he raised his staff. "The beings you battle, who exist in the realm known as the Ghost Zone…they come from many places. Some are the remains of living beings whose mortal form has failed, yet their mind lives on. Others are creations of many beliefs, desires, emotions, and sins, fused with spiritual power to create whole new beings. Some are both. Some are neither."

"Your point?"

"The reason they exist, in their pocket realm your father discovered, the realm that infused you with your powers and granted you your destiny, is because in the end they mean little. In the end, if they lived in the first place, they accomplished nothing of notice. So they exist."

"That's interesting. Your point?"

"BE SILENT!" Anubis roared, and slammed his staff down, causing the whole building to shake. "The number of mortal humans who I have deemed to speak to can be counted on one hand! If you continue to infuriate me with your twaddle, I will leave you and your precious 'family' to their fate!"

"What? What fate?"

"You may find out by falling SILENT." Anubis ordered. Danny, despite part of him not wanting to, bit his tongue. He supposed that if this was an ancient spiritual embodiment of judgment he shouldn't be surprised it was a control freak with a gigantic ego.

"I need not interfere with your breed boy, and the spirits in your ghost zone are beneath my notice. My task is for the remainder. There are more realms then this and what you call the Ghost Zone, many more. Over time, there have been many mortals, on many planes, who have committed acts of atrocious evil, and in more then a few, sought out forbidden powers and darkness to extend their time, to escape the final judgment of death. For those who have done such horrors, in their death, and sometimes in their attempt to escape it, I come. I bring them down, and I pronounce the sentence that their lives and actions have wrought them, and then I pass it down. If I did not do so, these beings may actually defy death, and the cruelties that these beings could commit in such a state are beyond even my comprehension. For countless centuries I have done this, granted the power to do so…"

"By who?"

"That is not your concern boy, and even if I deemed your worthy to know, your weak mind could never grasp the knowledge."

"So…what? You were sent by God?"

"MY ORIGIN IS NOT YOUR CONCERN!" Anubis blasted. "As I have said, I have done this for eons. And in all this time, I have encountered few problems, and none I could not handle myself. Until now."

Danny crossed his arms, trying to play it cool, when in reality part of his head was screaming this was way too big for him, and that he would do better to just listen to the spirit, or better yet dash his brains against a wall before he crossed over to something beyond him.

"Ok. So because you're ticked about a problem, you decided to pick a fight with me…"

"I have not come to FIGHT you boy. I have come because for once, I cannot succeed in my task! And that is because of you!"

"Look dude, as I said I have never met you before."

"It is not my hand that brought about this situation! It is yours, and what you did to the soul of Haley Ann Roxx!"

At the mention of that name, every bit of defiant anger in Danny died, snuffed out like a candle, replaced, at least temporary, by cold fear.

"…Sizzle." Danny whispered.

* * *

Valerie was completely, utterly lost. 

She'd seen the Phantom go into the giant courthouse, and she'd waited a minute and then flown over it, hunting for her own way in. The whole building was riddled with holes, and Valerie quickly found an entrance in the roof and quietly lowered herself down.

Valerie had been loathe to turn on her flashlight and play _Doom 3_ through the hallways and possibly tip the ghost kid off, but much to her surprise the building was lit up, though Valerie couldn't place just WHERE and HOW. She could, however, hear muffled voices in the next room, but she couldn't make out what they were saying…and then the whole building shook, nearly scaring her to death, as she disengaged her jet sled even as she threw herself flat on the ground, yanking out her ectogrenade launcher.

When no attack came, she slowly got to her feet and crept towards the voices.

There were plenty of hiding places for Valerie to sneak into the room and keep out of sight…thought what she saw didn't make any sense to her. There was the Phantom…and some giant guy in armor Valerie didn't recognize, but could instantly tell was one bad mutha. And nearby, floating in an orb…was that Sam Manson? Danny's friend, the girl she'd beat out for Danny's affections? What in the hell was SHE doing here?

The big guy in armor was babbling on now about evil people and how he had to judge them because they were so evil they wouldn't even follow the rules of life or something like that, or something, Valerie was, as mentioned, completely lost. She'd walked into the middle of a movie. A foreign movie. While blindfolded.

But when Danny said the name Sizzle…suddenly things got a little bit clearer.

If it involved that terrible entity…one that had taken control of Valerie herself, though she didn't remember the fact, just waking up with the injuries…then Valerie was definitely interested.

* * *

"Yes. Sizzle, as she called herself. A pyrokinetic man-hating woman who became an insane pyrokinetic ghost…" 

"Whoa wait, hold on! There's a hole here! You claim that the people in the Ghost Zone are 'harmless', well I don't know how you would consider Pariah Dark 'harmless' but that's beside the point! Haley, Sizzle, she did all kinds of bad things before she died! Why didn't you judge her then? How did she get into the Ghost Zone, which let her get OUT of the Ghost Zone!"

"Haley's crimes, several dozen murders, pale in comparison to what the usual dictator or mad general or pathetic mortal who believes he is so much more is doing. And a fragile fire controller is not worth noticing when a sorcerer is tampering with chaos magic far beyond his ken in an attempt to be immortal, never realizing what he is letting into this world, or how stubbornly they will cling to it! At the time, she was beneath my notice…and in this act of overlooking, she was able to return to your plane. You know what she did."

"She used ancient Sumerian dark magic to become a god. Where were YOU then?"

"I was there…but my powers are limited to judgment. I could not interfere…not until she had crossed a line…a line you stopped her from crossing. But her intent was there. That, I could, I had to…still judge."

Danny, strangely, found himself sighing a bit.

"You never got to. …I destroyed her. Wiped her completely out of existence. I didn't want to but I had to. And if you're going to judge ME for THAT, Anubis, then you either have worse intelligence then the recent CIA or you are a hypocrite of the highest degree."

"I am not here to judge YOU, child…though I pronounce your assumption foolish. Just because you found nothing…does not mean there was nothing."

The icy fear was back. Danny hated it, hated that in such a situation just mentioning Sizzle's name could invoke such a reaction in him…but she had been, as Savior put it, pure chaos force, and that left marks on people.

"…Multiple sorcerers scanned it. They went over every single rock there was. They did it multiple times…"

"You struck her down child. But some things are impossible to obliterate." Anubis said. He briefly looked amused. "You humans are capable of emotion, but you have no idea how small your perception of emotion is. So many of you think you have the greatest love of all time…when you could love a million years and not even come close to the intensity of a second of existence's higher loves. But some of you…you slip your bonds. You go past yourself. In virtue…and in vice. Some consciousnesses can cling to existence through belief and devotion. And some…can remain, no matter what happens, because of rage, of vengeance…of black, indestructible hate. Sizzle did not cease to exist child. Shards of her remained. Your sorcerers did not find her because I did first. I gathered her up…and I prepared her for judgment. And it is the results of that that I have brought you here. You…and her."

And Anubis reached into his cloak and withdrew it.

And the all too-familiar shriek rang through the building.

All the strength immediately went out of Danny's knees, and he collapsed. In whatever dimensional pocket Anubis had been keeping this other orb, the orb that now floated in front of him, the wherever place that had kept away the noise, it was gone now. And the horrifyingly familiar screech tore into his ears, of rage and pain and terrible, inhuman loathing.

There she was, smaller and broken down but still all too recognizable. Sizzle, thrashing and snarling in the same kind of orb, albeit somewhat smaller, that Sam was trapped in, like a rabid animal tied to a stake, as Danny stared at her. No. Not again. He couldn't go through this again. He'd used up all his miracles last time. He couldn't…

"**_YOU!_**" Sizzle screamed, and went into a torrential blast of insults that all tumbled over each other and merged into an incomprehensible mess of inhuman anger and violent desire.

"**_I'LL BURN YOU BOY! BURN IT ALL! YOU'LL NEVER BE RID OF ME…!"_**

"BE SILENT YOU INFERNAL WITCH!" Anubis bellowed, and held out his hand. Inside the orb, some kind of energy pulsed and then tore into Sizzle, ripping her form to pieces even as she shrieked once more. But there was no anger in that scream, only pain, terrible pain…pain that echoed in the screams of the memories Danny had taken from Sizzle, of a burden he had tried to relieve her from…only to realize that despite all her horrific anger that came from it, beneath it was an even greater need to cling to it, because without the pain and the rage it brought, she had no reason to exist.

"You need not worry child. She is safely locked away in there, sealed from this realm. She cannot get out…yet." Anubis said, looking at the shattered form that now lay at the bottom of the orb. "Disgusting. Not even human while alive, and somehow degenerated even more upon death. An exceptional woman, in all the wrong ways. Her actions brought me to judge her, and judge her I did…but therein lies the problem: she will not move on."

"…What?" Danny said.

"Some spirits don't KNOW how to move, and my duty is to heel those who refuse to move on, a task I have never failed in…until her. Until Sizzle. Every attempt I have made, every ritual I know, it cannot bring her to what she has earned. She had held onto this plane with more tenacity and obstinacy then I have ever seen. For a while, I did not know why…until I looked into how her end came about. And discovered you. And what you are Danny."

"What?"

"Humility is fine child, but it will not help you here. Sizzle cannot be sent to her due because of you. Because of her hatred for you."

There was that ice again.

"I have seen many hates, ghost child. Some directed at me, some at others, some at themselves…I have judged beings who have spent centuries feeding and cultivating their antipathy. I have judged them all. Yet this creature, this…THING!"

Sizzle was back together and screaming again, cursing Anubis and Danny alternatively until Anubis 'shocked' her into silence again. Danny could almost swear he heard her weeping as she collapsed once more…but that might have just been him.

"She defies me! She defies my power, my station, my very being! And the reason she can defy me is because of her total, utter, absolute, staggering, unbelievable, unimaginable**HATE** for you. I almost pity you, ghost child. You have earned an enmity to rank among the worst of all times."

"…Heh. Good to know." Danny said in a small voice. He had to say something: otherwise he would start screaming himself, quite possibly never to stop.

"It grows worse child."

"How could it get any worse?"

"I would not have involved you. I watched you many times, but I always decided against it. Until I discovered what two others plan to do."

"What?"

"You know one. Vlad Masters, aka Vlad Plasimus, your nemesis in many ways, mortal and god. He had recruited a terrible being, a dark sorcerer who, like me, has had many names. He goes by Zylvain Rasputin these days, and there will come a time when I will have to battle him. But for now, on this world, his mastery of dark magic and powers is among the greatest. I keep Sizzle in this orb as I try to bring judgment upon her…but I cannot, because she in indelibly connected to you. And Vlad, with Zylvain, seeks to circumnavigate my power and do the unthinkable: return Sizzle to this plane with a new form, to wreck whatever vengeance she wishes. To bring about her own fiery judgment on those she has believed has wronged her."

"What…but…you're an ancient judgment spirit! Can't you stop them?"

"I CANNOT BE DENIED!" Sizzle screamed. "THIS WORLD IS MINE! IT WILL BE-ARGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" Sizzle screamed as Anubis silenced her once more.

"Zylvain commands much forbidden knowledge. With what he knows, they understand my power too well. It is mighty and terrible, but only within the circles I walk. If they remove her from them…then I can do nothing. It is why I did not want to interfere with you, a mortal. But I no longer have a choice. The only way to end their threat, and Sizzle's, is to bring judgment upon her! And as I have discovered…I can only do that with you. It is why I attacked your home, harmed your family, and took your other friend with me. You needed to know how important this is, important enough that I WILL do you harm if you defy it. Because only you, child, can do it."

"…Do what?"

"…Do you still not understand?" Anubis said, as he floated the Sizzle orb up a bit and stepped back a few steps. "If we do not judge her, she will be unleashed once more. And I myself cannot judge her, because she is connected to you. YOU must do it."

"…Judge her?" Danny said, in utter disbelief, because the picture he was getting…letting Sizzle free was unthinkable, but the alternative…

"Yes, Danny Phantom. I can lay the groundwork, and guide your hand, but only you can pass the judgment!" Anubis said, as he raised his hands. Green fire exploded everywhere, covering the room and forming arcane symbols along the walls and floor. "You, Danny Phantom, must grant Haley Ann Roxx the punishment for her crimes, the punishment she had earned! Only you, Danny Phantom, can condemn her to Hell!"

_To Be Continued_


	5. Part 5

Part 5

Writer's Note: I apologize for the delay. Not only was this chapter slow in coming out, but I was then distracted by Resident Evil 4. Well, having finished introducing Bitores Mendez to Mr. Shotgun, Ramon Salazer to Mr. Magnum, Krauser to Mr. Knife, and Lord Saddler to Mr. Rocket Launcher, I have now finished this part!

Damn you though, Chainsaw Maniacs! Damn you! Burn in hell!

* * *

Familiarity, as the saying goes, breeds contempt. Or something in that vein, as Danny stood where he was, Anubis' declaration echoing over and over in his head. He wasn't thinking as clearly as he usually could, but he was sure that expression had something to do with how he felt. 

It appeared that he wasn't going to have to fight Sizzle again. She was trapped in the orb Anubis possessed, and despite the spirit's warning, it appeared that Danny was in the clear…so to speak. If he did what Anubis said, Sizzle would never bother him again. And from the way she continue to scream and snarl at him, that would probably be best. Any humanity she had she had lost long ago: she was a cancer, a virus on the mortal plane, desiring only to destroy as many lives as possible. No, she was worse then a virus. A virus commanded no malice when it invaded, sickened, and sometimes killed a living being: it only wished to survive itself. Sizzle only wished to kill and destroy because of a contradictory mess of fears, pains, hatreds, and rages, which in the end came down to one thing: she couldn't be saved or redeemed, only stopped.

Anubis was giving him the chance to finally put an end to it all.

But…

Another expression was that of the ends justifying the means, a phrase used to question the actions a man or party has taken in order to achieve certain results. Danny remembered a classroom debate on the AIDS crisis in Africa where two students had argued vehemently, without prejudice or sadism, that due to a combination of certain factors in Africa, in the end the best way to deal with the AIDS crisis would be for other countries to just seal Africa's borders and wait until people smartened up or died off, as evolution would intend it. The two students (Danny couldn't recall their names) had provoked a lot of reaction, a lot of it vehement in and of itself, and most of it revolving around the ends not justifying the means. Sure, you COULD seal up Africa…but was the potentially outright genocide of a continent the only way to rid it of a deadly disease, and who watches the watchmen and gets to decide who lives and dies? While Danny had remained silent (he was tired and didn't feel like arguing), something that had occurred to him was that it was hard all around in that kind of decision. The idea for such a choice would be to find the best person for the job, while in a sense the best people would be psychopaths and people with personal agendas (racism, profit, who knows what else) as they would be the only ones motivated to stick to their decision. If you weed those kinds out (and that in and of itself seemed wise), you were left with someone who had to take the weight of such a horrible 'necessity' onto themselves. How would you feel if you were told the only way to save people was to kill others? What kind of a good person could make such a decision? What would be inflicted upon them, if only by themselves, if they did?

Danny hadn't argued his theory and had mostly forgotten about it…until now. Now it was staring him in the face.

Much like the two student's African argument, it seemed deceptively simple. They had argued that Africa was a black hole of ignorance in these matters (Danny wasn't going to give their claims absolute credibility…but they did have a point or two) and the only way to stop the spread was to basically let evolution take over: people either learned just how to avoid the HIV virus or died from being unable or unwilling to. And if Africa really was so hopelessly backward (their words, not Danny's), maybe that's what should happen. They should get what they deserve, so to speak.

The moral issues seemed far less murky here. Sizzle was a murderer, a violent and insane sadist, who was irredeemable and hated Danny with such a furious, unwavering passion that Anubis for the first time in his existence couldn't do his job without Danny's aid. She would never stop. She would do everything to hurt him, and once he was gone she would turn her fury onto something else. There was no argument here. She had to be stopped.

But…

The phrase 'Go to hell' had become so common that it was as likely to be used with friends and lovers as with enemies. It was, after all, just words. It was, in a way, a familiar phrase. Familiarity breeds contempt. And when contempt is bred for something, one ceases to remember just what words mean.

Danny was being told to make those words reality.

He was being asked to send something, despite all its horridness, that still thought and felt, into a place where, if you believed a variety of religions, one would suffer for all eternity. Many people had tried to capture what hell was like, from the aside of the Roman poet Virgil to the writings of Dante and John Milton to the paintings of Hieronymus Bosch to the drawings of Todd McFarlene to the studios of Id Studios and Dreamcatcher Interactive, perhaps attempting to dispel any fear they might have had over the supposed realm of the sinners and damned by giving it a set form.

But those were just words and pictures.

If Anubis was to be believed, he was asking, no, telling Danny to send Sizzle to the real deal.

And…

"You seem troubled child." Anubis said, even as he continued to slowly wave his arms, tracing symbols in the air. "Fear not. This will requite no great effort on your part. I will open the gateway, I will condemn the soul. All you have to do is will her to go. In that action, you will turn her connection to you against her, and she will be damned, as she has earned, removed from your life forever." Anubis said, as the symbols in the room lit up even more, and the ground before Danny and Anubis began to smoke. "However, this will not be like flipping a switch child! You will have to exert SOME power! But you have more then enough power, ghost child! So raise your hand, and put an end to this chapter in your life!"

"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!" Sizzle howled. "YOU THINK HELL WILL HOLD ME? I'LL BE…ARRRGGGGHHHHHHHHH!" Sizzle cried as Anubis zapped her again.

"She deserves this as much for her ignorance as for her crimes. You have only been allowed what you attained, fire spirit, because you slipped through the cracks. But you are in my grasp now, and there is no escape!" Anubis said, as he raised his hands. "I shall open the portal, child! Whatever you do, do NOT look into it! It is not for mortal eyes to see!"

"But…" Danny said.

"We have little time Phantom! Even now your enemies seek to free her! We must condemn her, for all our sakes!" Anubis said.

And the ground suddenly cracked open.

And it washed over Danny. He thought he'd experienced all the kinds of heat he could in his war against Sizzle, but this…this was brand new. It was heat, but it was also a smell…and a sensation of despair…and things so alien Danny's body couldn't properly process it.

Wails emerged from the hole, horrific sounds beyond all human ken. Crouched in her hiding place, still frozen in confusion and shock over what was going on, Valerie felt, rather then heard the noise wash over her…and then she was yanking her mask off as she began vomiting uncontrollably, her body reacting violently to the presence of what lurked beyond that crack.

Danny was smart enough to remember what Anubis had said though, as he kept his eyes firmly upraised, looking up at Anubis, whose staff now floated in front of him as he raised his arms again, energy flowing around him and coursing around Sizzle's orb…and behind and nearby him was Sam, still stuck in her own orb. Apparently it offered some protection, as she wasn't throwing up like Valerie…but that might be because she had her fingers in her ears and her eyes closed tight. Whatever lay beyond the hole, it scared her to death, and she wanted nothing to do with it.

"The passage is almost complete! Begin, Danny! Before it's too late!" Anubis said.

Danny stared at the judgment spirit…and then he was suddenly aware of a strange giggling noise. But he wasn't making it, Anubis' face may as well have been carved from stone, Sam was cringing away, and Danny had no idea Valerie was there (leaning behind a wall, dazed from her sudden attack of vomiting)…it was Sizzle.

She was looking at him. The rage was still there, but mixed in was a bitter humor and…

Dear god, she had a condemnatory look in there too. Of all things…

"So, this is how it ends, boy?" Sizzle said. "Doing what the big man tells you, to get rid of me? Well, go ahead boy. Do it. It's what your breed does. Hell is hell, whether in the towers of brimstone or at your hands. Go do it, boy. Because you damn well know what will happen if you don't." Sizzle said.

Danny stared.

"OH DON'T WIMP OUT BOY! I SURE AS HELL WON'T WHEN I'M ROASTING YOUR WHOLE TOWN OVER A SPIT!" Sizzle shrieked. "I'M YOUR SHADOW BOY! I'M YOUR HEART OF DARKNESS! AND I WILL CONSUME YOU-AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" Sizzle screamed as she was once more rent to pieces by Anubis' gesture.

"Let that be the last time we must hear her speak." Anubis said. "The connection is forged boy. It is time. My judgment is passed. Carry it out."

Danny stared for a few more seconds, and then gulped.

What choice did he have?

Sam risked opening her eyes to see what was happening.

As she saw Danny raised his right arm, briefly flex the fingers…and then concentrate.

Greenish energy began to flow out from his arm, even as likewise power began to flow from Anubis.

And Sam realized that it was really going to happen. Danny really was going to get rid of Sizzle.

On that, she had no idea how she felt.

But she knew how Danny felt.

He was trying to be strong, to be emotionless. He was just doing what had to be done. There would be terrible consequences if he didn't.

And yet…she could see what was going on inside him.

Even now, faced with perhaps his greatest enemy, after all that happened…he felt for her.

At the end of that terrible battle, for a moment when she had thought Danny was dead, Sam had remarked that he was too good for this world. And in some ways, that was still true. That had always been the difference between Danny and the Titan Savior. Danny still had a belief. Savior's had long died, replaced by a cause.

But beliefs can be terrible things…

Sizzle had reformed again, but she didn't yell and scream. Instead she just looked at Danny.

She spoke not a word, but Danny heard it all.

_Go on boy. Do it. Be a MAN._

The shrieks rose up from the hellhole…

"I will get out." Sizzle did say. "When I do, you'll wish you went here in my stead, boy."

"Ignore her. It is just about done. One last push…" Anubis said.

And Sizzle's orb began going down.

"Never be rid of me boy. Never. Ever. You goddamn, wretched, disgusting, MAN." Sizzle said, as she descended…

And Danny, from his peripheral vision, could swear he saw hands rising up to meet her.

"…No." Danny said, and lowered his own.

It all faded away, instantly. The runes, the flame, even the crack in the ground, as if it had never been.

And Anubis recoiled, his staff clattering to the ground.

Sizzle floated there, near the floor that had moments ago been a gateway to something far worse. She did not speak however. She seemed…confused.

Sam blinked, lowering her hands, even as Valerie, sensing herself that things were 'back to normal', so to speak, shot a quick jet of fluid into her mouth from a water bottle to get the sour taste out. She quickly spat it out and slipped the bottle back into her backpack even as she slipped her mask back on and leaned out to peek in on this development.

It didn't take long, as Anubis recovered, and as he looked at Danny he held out his hand, his staff flying into it. He did not look happy.

"No?" Anubis said. "Did you misunderstand something I said, ghost boy?"

"No. I understood just fine." Danny said.

"Then you clearly made an error. No matter, we have time to…"

"No."

Anubis' eyes narrowed.

"Do not tell me you are saying what I think you are saying."

"I won't send her to hell."

Sizzle burst out laughing, and then screamed again as Anubis zapped her.

"You WON'T, boy? Or you think you can't? Because you can boy! You are destined for great power! It lies within your hands! Have no doubt about it!"

"I don't doubt I could do it." Danny said. "I won't."

A pause.

"YOU WHAT!?!" Anubis bellowed. "Have you lost your mind child!?! Have you forgotten what I told you? What your foes seek for her? Do you think we have time for this nonsense? We must judge her, lest she escape and destroy everything you hold dear, and quite possibly the world! This is not a matter of choice!"

"It is NOW!" Danny yelled back. "You said it yourself Anubis. She's stuck here because of me. That means I have a say in it. And I won't send her to hell."

"…Oh child." Anubis said, his tone going from anger to a mixture of pity and disgust. "You think you're being noble. I'll tell you what you are child: YOU'RE A FOOL! Thinking that going against what you truly want somehow denies it. Your soul holds no secrets from me, Danny Phantom! I can see through it like it was made of glass!"

_What did he call him?_ Valerie thought. She knew the ghost boy's name…but at the same time it was like there was something about it she hadn't noticed before, a thought nagging at the back of her head, even as she devoted her attention to the angry Anubis.

"You think I can't see what she awoke in you, child? The rage? The hate? The desire to destroy her to save yourself and others? It is not the mark of a righteous soul to deny such things, it is the act of an idiot! And a dangerous idiot at that! Ideals bring about as many downfalls as deviances, ghost child. Surely you know that. Stop denying who you are! Do what must be done! Judge her!"

"…No."

"WHAT?"

"You're not lying Anubis. You're right. Those things…they're a part of me." Danny said, as he raised his hand. Remembering what he'd done with it, and not just to Sizzle. As a closed fist, he'd wrecked havoc on the worst of the Ghost Zone, and he'd done it without a pang of doubt or regret.

But there was a difference between throwing a few punches and sucking something up in a Thermos and…what he'd seen. What he'd felt.

"But they are not ME." Danny said, lowering his hand. "This is MY choice: I say there HAS to be another way."

"Another WAY?" Anubis scoffed. "Are you suggesting I have made an error?"

"No…I guess not."

"Then judge her!"

"Judging her doesn't mean she has to go to hell!"

"SHE IS PURE EVIL, CHILD. Are you suggesting that you can rearrange the moral compass of all existence? You are mighty, ghost child, but NO ONE has that power! We must all obey it!"

"There HAS to be another way!" Danny pleaded. "You said it yourself! There are countless realms! Can't you send her to a lifeless one or something, lock her up in it?"

"You think she would stay there?"

"Why would she stay in hell?"

"Hell has taken her breed for untold lengths of time. She is just one of many. It WILL confine her! That is why she must go there!"

"…I won't." Danny said.

"…Then what do you SUGGEST? Speak swiftly child, lest her bonds be broken by your enemies and she cooks the tongue out of your head before you finish."

"…There must be a way!" Danny said. "Send her…somewhere else!"

Anubis was silent for a bit.

"Do you…have the GALL…to tell ME…the SPIRIT OF JUDGMENT…that I should reverse my sentence? That I should send her…the other way?"

"…No. Even I'm not that forgiving." Danny said. "But there must be other places. I don't know of them, but you surely must! Send her to a lifeless dimension…like Limbo? Does Limbo exist? Send her there! Or…Purgatory? Does that exist? Maybe…she could go there. Maybe…if she spent enough time there…she could…"

"DO NOT BE ABSURD!" Anubis bellowed, as the whole building shook.

"Then send her to Oblivion! Destroy her entirely! But I will NOT send her to hell!"

"WHY?"

"…."

"You make such a claim, yet you cannot even verify why. Stop listening to your mind, child. It may as well have been the same when your species crawled out of the primordial ooze. You may be destined for a higher power, but your knowledge is all too human. Low. Worthless." Anubis said. "My judgment is cast. It cannot be changed or denied, UNLESS YOU PREVENT IT FROM HAPPENING! If you do, then all you know and love may be forfeit! Stop being stupid, child! Do what must be done!"

"………………………………"

"What do you want?" Anubis said. "Do you want assurances that it will not burden you? I can assure you it will not. It is the divine judgment, as pure as anything you will know." Anubis said. "Is that not motive enough? Or are you human in another aspect and desire more?"

"…I…"

"You may try and transcend your nature, Phantom, but I have known more humans then you ever will. I know what you can and cannot do." Anubis said. "Very well then. Do what must be done, and I will assure you success in life. In any and all aspects. You desire fortune? Fame? Happiness? Or will you go lower and settle for a life spent in a cause that does not shower you with misery and burden? Just do what must be done, and it will all be yours. I give you my promise."

"…You could do that?"

"If I could not, I know those that could. I am, after all, so much more then a ghost." Anubis said.

Danny thought it over. Anything he wanted…

…Didn't he deserve it?

Hadn't he done enough? Was it so wrong to be a little bit selfish?

Heck, it wasn't like Sizzle had done him any favors.

He should…

_Anyone can hold up a world Danny…_

Sam stared at Danny, as the words came to him, recalled…as he looked at his hand again.

Just do it the easy way…

_…It takes a true Atlas not to shrug._

"…No." Danny said.

Anubis said nothing.

"I won't do it Anubis. It's…just not me."

Anubis stared at Danny, his face unreadable.

And then he sighed.

"I have seen so much throughout my many centuries." Anubis said. "I have faced threats so grave they could have snuffed your world out in a heart beat. Never once have I ever questioned anything I have ever done…until now. For the first time in forever, I question myself, Danny Phantom. Because of you."

"…So…you can do something?" Danny asked.

"…No child."

The blast flew from Anubis' ear/horn-crown and blew Danny across the room with a scream.

"DANNY!" Sam shrieked. Sizzle was still a disorganized mess, but she still managed a chuckle.

"I do not question my judgment child. THAT, is ABSOLUTE." Anubis said, as he set himself down on the ground in front of the Sizzle orb and began walking towards Danny. "No child, what I question is why I ever bothered to try and work with you. You, and your asinine moral code, denying who you truly are…you are defying your real self, and in that interfering with the order of things! There is no choice in this matter, Danny Phantom, and I question why I ever allowed the idea to be raised! But I will make amends for this oversight, child, by settling things back to the way they are. By any means necessary. If you won't do what's right, then I will CONVINCE you of the necessity." Anubis said.

Danny got to his feet, his chest burning and his eyes blazing.

"You know, even when you were talking sense, I didn't much like you. And I can see why now." Danny growled. "You want a convincing argument? TALK TO THIS HAND!"

And Danny lanced forward, punching for Anubis.

Anubis grabbed him by the wrist in mid-blow.

"And so you show you truly understand NOTHING."

Anubis hurled Danny away like he weighed nothing, smashing the doors leading to the courtroom to splinters as he crashed through, Anubis following after him with a calm but firm step that spoke of unbelievably bad intentions.

"Perhaps that had jarred some sense into you." Anubis said as he approached Danny, as he once again got to his feet.

Danny's eyes blazed, as green ectoplasmic power exploded on his hands.

"Or perhaps not." Anubis said sadly.

Danny slammed his hands together and fired a giant blast at Anubis, striking him dead on. As he vanished in an explosion of power, Danny fired another blast from his right arm, then his left, then slammed his hands together and sent a spray of four more blasts into the explosion, sending small debris flying away from the attack that and tousling Danny's hair. He lowered his arms, panting in rage.

The smoke cleared.

Anubis didn't have a mark on him: the only thing that showed any damage was his cloak. His expression was a strange mix of anger, annoyance, and pity.

"Do you STILL NOT UNDERSTAND?" Anubis snapped, as he thumped his fist on his chest plate. "I am the Spirit of Judgment! My armor is not composed of earthly metals, of mortal materials! It is forged from righteousness itself! It has borne the brunt of the most hideous weapons, had endured the most vile and destructive spells, has stood before the fiercest and most violent attacks and defiance attempts, and has never suffered a scratch. And I am not newly imbued with my power like the fire spirit child! I was striking down the gravest evils of existence while your idiotic species was still learning how to throw rocks! You cannot win, boy! You can't even hurt me." Anubis said.

"SAYS YOU!" Danny yelled, and charged again. Anubis blocked his kick, but Danny spun away from the block and lashed out, kicking Anubis in the side.

And just like Anubis said, he felt like he was kicking a mountain, the impact ringing up his leg, and before Danny could do anything Anubis had grabbed Danny's foot, and as Danny screamed Anubis swung him up and slammed him down into the ground, shaking the whole building.

"DANNY!" Sam screamed.

"Stop this pointless insubordination boy. It will only get you hurt more." Anubis said.

"NO!" Danny snapped, leaping up and coming in swinging again. His fists slammed against Anubis' chest plate, but the impact hurt him far worse then it did Anubis, as he reached out and grabbed Danny by the shirt.

"As you wish." Anubis said, and slammed his head forward, headbutting Danny between the eyes and sending stars shooting his vision, even as Anubis released the grip on his staff and lifted Danny up like he weighed nothing and hurled him upward, Danny's back slamming against the ceiling, the impact knocking the wind out of Danny as he fell back down…right back into Anubis' hands, as he thrust Danny down and slammed his stomach against his knee. Greenish spittle flew from Danny's mouth from the impact, as he hit the ground and curled up into a fetal position from the pain.

Anubis reached down, grabbed Danny's leg, and spun, hurling Danny back through the shattered doors to the main courtroom and through the doors leading back outside as well.

"Danny! DANNY!" Sam continued to scream. Anubis glanced behind him, and then he made a gesture. Sam stared, and then continued to yell Danny's name, not realizing her voice could not longer be heard outside of the bubble. Anubis called his staff to him and strode out the door.

Danny was on the stairs outside, in the process of getting up. He was clearly in pain, but the spark of defiance still shone brightly in his eye. So, this was how it was going to go down? Anubis was going to pound on him until he did what Anubis wanted? Screw him. And Anubis might have shrugged off everything he had done so far, but he still had his greatest attack, as he inhaled.

"I would not recommend it." Anubis said. "If you utilize your voice technique, I will not be harmed, but the same might not be said for your friend Sam. It may shatter her sphere, and hence her body…and if her sphere broke, then Sizzle's would as well…and if she escapes, I will not be able to capture her again for some time."

The defiance was replaced by a look of despair, as Danny realized that for all he knew, Anubis was right. The Ghostly Wail was powerful…but he couldn't limit its range: it would potentially smash anything in front of him…including Sam. And Sizzle's prison. He couldn't use it.

Yet. Because Sam wasn't always going to be behind Anubis, and Danny had beaten ghosts without the wail. He'd just kick it old school, as he yelled and streaked towards Anubis again, who snorted in annoyance…

As Danny turned intangible and flew through him, clearly taking Anubis by surprise, and before the spirit could turn around Danny exited through Anubis' back, spun, and lashed out with a kick to the back of Anubis' head.

Anubis didn't budge, and Danny's eyes went wide.

Cloak swirling, Anubis whirled and tried to grab Danny, but Danny was already diving between Anubis' legs and leaping up behind him, and as Anubis turned around again Danny lashed out with another slicing kick, this time aiming for the side of Anubis' head.

It proved as impenetrable as the back, and before Danny could do anything Anubis slashed out his arm and backhanded Danny, sending him crashing down the stairs.

"I would express admiration for your attempts, except I've seen it all before, and much better, and grew tired of it long, LONG before I knew you, Danny Phantom." Anubis said. "Enough. My judgment must be carried out."

"Not…by…me…" Danny said, as he pulled himself to his feet again, wiping a trickle of blood from the corner of his mouth. Anubis' eyes narrowed.

"You still persist?" Anubis said. "Very well."

And Anubis lifted his staff, and as Danny watched the scales on them began to enlarge and morph, the staff itself growing larger as well, as the scales transformed into twin stone orbs, perfectly smooth, each nearly the size of the orbs Sam and Sizzle were kept in, a pair of wrecking balls…

Wrecking balls…

Danny remembered. The damage to his house. His hurt parents. It had looked like a fleet of engineering vehicles had taken a trip through the place…but it wasn't a machine that had done the damage, it was Anubis himself, most likely with that very staff. He'd tried to destroy Danny's life, just because he needed to perform his damn judgment…

HIS judgment…

Danny's eyes glowed green once more, and then he shot into the sky with a scream, Anubis' head looking up to follow him.

Explosions consumed Anubis as Danny cut loose from the sky, firing down a storm of ecto-blasts. Dust filled the air.

And then the balls came shooting out from the cloud, flying up towards Danny at the end of a long chain. Danny barely dodged to the side, and zapped down to the ground, flying into the cloud of dust as it cleared and ramming both fists into Anubis' chest.

It felt like he broke all the fingers in both his hands, but Danny was raging with adrenaline and ignored the pain, spinning away from Anubis as he tried to punch him. Anubis' twin morning star balls retracted back to his staff, as he then swung the staff up and down, Danny dodging to the side as the balls shattered the steps where they struck. Danny fired a blast into Anubis' stomach; it didn't make a dent, as Anubis fired his own blast in return from his eyes, Danny spinning away from it again, as Anubis lifted his staff and swung the spheres out, missing Danny as he dodged once more, the balls smashing down one of the tall pillars that stood on the stairs in the front of the massive courtroom. Danny flew backwards as he charged power on his hands and fired off twin blasts, which caught Anubis and exploded once more. But once more, Anubis didn't budge an inch, and Danny could see his armor was unmarred. But Danny wasn't done yet, as he turned intangible and phased through the ground, going under and swooping up behind Anubis, but Anubis had seemingly read the move as he swung around, swinging the balls, but Danny had stayed intangible and the orbs swung through him…

But they didn't leave him unaffected, as Danny suddenly felt like he had been punched in the gut. His concentration disrupted, Danny phased back into reality…

As Anubis swung his staff back and forward, the orbs flying out and slamming into Danny, sending him flying backwards with a scream as they both struck and pushed him, as he finally crashed into another one of the courthouse pillars, a spiderweb of cracks shooting out from around him as Anubis yanked back the orbs, even as Danny began to slump down from the impact…

As Anubis flew forward and rammed his shoulder into Danny's torso, sending the cracks shooting up the whole pillar. More green flecked saliva flew from Danny's mouth as the impact ripped through his whole form: he thought he felt a rib snap, before his muscles locked up and his whole body went limp, slumping against Anubis.

Anubis stepped back, grabbing Danny by the shirt as he started to fall and slammed him against the pillar again, causing dust to rain down from the pillar and ceiling above it.

"Do you honestly think I have not battled those who could slip from the bonds of reality? That I would not be prepared for such a thing? You disappoint me child." Anubis said. "I know how to cause harm. And your form, whether fused with ghost or not, still possesses a few hundred bones. I have, of this moment, only damaged a few of them. So let me put this in mortal terms, boy: I can still hurt you a great deal more if you refuse to do the right thing."

Danny stared into Anubis' stern face.

And then he spat in it.

"It's not the right thing, it's YOUR thing. You've been doing it for so long, you can't see any other options. NO." Danny snapped.

Anubis' eyes narrowed again, as Danny's spittle suddenly and abruptly evaporated.

"You blasted FOOL…" Anubis growled, as he swung his morning star staff back again…

And a blast of red power struck his hand: while the armor remained unmarked, the impact still seemed to loosen Anubis' fingers, as he dropped the staff. He turned his head to look at the shooter.

"So, our uninvited guest finally shows her face." Anubis said as Valerie floated there on her jet sled, her laser wrist cannon retracting back into her suit. "Did you miss your target? I was under the impression that your relationship with this imbecile was less then cordial." Anubis said, as he turned around to face Valerie, dropping Danny in front of him. His bleary eyes looked up as well.

"Valerie?" He whispered.

"No, I don't like that bastard. Not at all." Valerie said.

And with one swift motion, she suddenly had her ectogrenade launcher out and aimed.

"But one, I'm the one who's going to settle his hash, and two, after all the stuff I've heard you say about judgment, I've decided I don't like you either." Valerie finished, and fired once more, a laser energy blast shooting from her weapon.

Anubis held up his hand and whacked the blast aside, and Danny found himself needing to roll out of the way to avoid the deflected attack, even as Anubis flew up into the air, for some reason leaving his staff behind.

"You would enter combat with me, after all you've heard, all based on a concept of dislike? And you deny my observation that your species are all fools? Who are YOU to denounce the will of the Spirit of Judgment?" Anubis snapped.

"You wanna know? Fine. You say you've been around for most of history. You know what I see when I think of history and judgment? When I see her?" Valerie said, pointing to the statue down below. "I see a bunch of white people smiling for a picture, like they're having a picnic, posing next to a body hanging from a tree. And I see juries setting new speed records in acquitting these sights, backed up by judges who wanted to get back to their bedsheets. I see this happening again, and again, even TODAY, because it's easier to judge then change!"

"…You would take a segment of the history of your breed…and try to apply it to describe my divine mission?" Anubis said, honestly sounding offended.

"It's what I know." Valerie said, as her barrel twisted. "And if that's what you embody, then as far as I'm concerned, YOU can go to hell!" Valerie yelled, and fired off several rockets.

When the explosion cleared, the only sign of damage was Anubis' somewhat more tattered cloak.

"So be it then. You talk about how those in need never saw what was righteous. Well, you shall not be so 'unfortunate', as you will now see the hand of righteousness, as he rains divine fire upon your foolish head!" Anubis declared, and fired gigantic beams of ectoplasm from each of his hands. Valerie's jet sled barely managed to dodge them, as Valerie swooped around and opened fire on Anubis' back, blowing a hole in his cloak but not harming the armor and weapons beneath, as Anubis whirled and blasted power from between the horn-like ears of his helmet again, catching Valerie in the chest and sending her falling to the ground, her arms losing her gun in the process.

She flipped over and landed on her feet though, even as Danny managed to get back to his. She glanced at him.

"You really stepped in it this time, ghost kid. And I thought defying me was stupid." Valerie snapped.

"Valerie…" Danny said.

"Save it! I haven't forgotten what you did! But I can't cash my check on your ass if this self-righteous bastard breaks your bank first!" Valerie said, as she yanked her grenade-like ghost bombs from her belt. As Anubis descended from the sky, she hurled them at him. All the explosion did was rip his cloak up more.

"Equally stupid. What a couple you make." Anubis said disdainfully.

"I'll show you who the stupid one is! You wanna mess with me? YOU'RE GOING DOWN!" Valerie declared, and snapped out twin laser pistols as she peppered Anubis with shots.

Anubis stood there under her barrage for several seconds before power blasted from his eyes again and blew the guns out of Valerie's hands, causing her to recoil with a yell of pain. Danny's eyes widened in concern, as he almost went to help her…but in the end he didn't need to, as Valerie looked from her burned hands to Anubis, and despite the mask Danny could still see the anger radiating from her eyes.

"Lot more where THAT came from!" Valerie yelled, as cannons snapped up from her backpack and shot concentrated energy at Anubis, who vanished once more in an explosion.

That he walked out of, not even a scorch mark adorning his form.

"And all of it utterly ineffective." Anubis said, and fired another blast from his helmet ears. Valerie did a leaping cartwheel to the side, snatching up her ectogrenade launcher, and even as she twisted the barrel once more she aimed and fired, shooting out a grenade that exploded over Anubis and covered him with slime. Had he been a normal ghost, this would have incapacitated and perhaps even wounded him.

Anubis boiled it off within a second.

"You're not worthy of my celestial weapon." Anubis said, as he reached behind him. "You need not judgment, for you stand in its path! Only one fate awaits those who do such a thing! EXECUTION!" Anubis thundered, as he withdrew a gigantic axe, its double-headed blade the size of the average door.

"It's not the size, asswipe." Valerie said.

Laser blasts shot Anubis in the back, and as he turned to strike at their source Valerie's jet sled zipped past him, as Valerie leapt onto it, even as she snapped out her ecto-boomerang and let it fly at Anubis' head.

It shattered into pieces, much to Valerie's dismay. She'd hoped it would at least make a notch.

But Anubis' 'Execution Axe' would most likely make much more then a notch if it hit her, and Anubis clearly had that in mind as he lanced at Valerie. Valerie did a tight turn and dodge as Anubis cleaved through another one of the pillars, and then she flew through the open door that Danny had exited through earlier, firing twin mini-rockets from her wrists. They exploded on Anubis, once again not harming him, as he paused to take a brief look around. No sign of Danny, but Anubis wasn't worried. Danny couldn't get Sam out of her prison orb without risking harm to her, and he certainly wasn't going to run away. Anubis would deal with him, as soon as he got rid of the other annoyance that was interrupting his judgment.

Danny was behind a pillar, trying to gather himself. He ached all over, especially in his chest, but he knew he had to help Valerie. She may have hated Danny Phantom, but Danny could see that she and him clearly though enough alike to see something wasn't exactly kosher with Anubis, even if said lack of kosher was just that he was a giant jerk who only believed in his way or the highway, and while Valerie, pardon the pun, certainly had spirit, Danny knew she didn't have a chance against Anubis. Well, Danny might not have a chance against him either, but he'd be damned if he just stood by and let Valerie fight by herself…even if they weren't…

Sam certainly wasn't expecting to see Valerie fly into the room, though Valerie didn't hear her surprised expression at this, as Valerie flew backwards, letting the jet sled's automatic pilot and navigation system weave her through the wreckage of the courthouse, so she could concentrate on shooting at her target.

And her target wasn't disappointing her, as Anubis flew in through the doorway, swinging his axe, a cutting slice of energy flying from it and missing Valerie as it sliced through the ceiling, and as Sam watched, wide-eyed, Valerie zapped Anubis with one of her wrist gauntlet lasers and then did a tight twist and flew through a hole in the wall, Anubis on her heels. Sam watched them go.

And realized that she hadn't heard a sound. It appeared her bubble had been cut off from the outside world…

And where was Danny?

Valerie bobbed and weaved down a wreckage-strewn hallway and then zipped through a hole in the ceiling, disappearing around a corner as Anubis flew up after her. She zapped through several other hallways, Anubis always on her heels, as she took a potshot at him every now and then, waiting for the right moment, as she flew down some stairs and down another hallway…

And emerged in another courtroom, this one smaller, but large enough, as Valerie hit the brakes and aimed, her systems locking on as her jet sled cannons, wrist missiles, and backpack cannons all popped up and armed themselves…

Anubis flew through the door.

And Valerie opened up, Anubis vanishing in another massive series of blasts, the shockwaves washing over her and the room…which produced loud groaning and cracking sounds from the structure. Valerie didn't need any kind of clue-in to what that meant, as she turned around and ran (well, flew) for it as the room began to cave in, burying Anubis in rubble as she flew through the door. She zipped down the hallway, whirled around, pulled out her ectogrenade launcher, and aimed at the door, ready if Anubis came out.

"Please." A voice said from behind Valerie. Her guts filled with ice, as she tried to turn…

Anubis' fist shattered the dark lenses in her mask and sent her flying off her ride and across the hallway, bouncing a few times before she came to rest, losing her weapon again. She groaned as her vision swam.

Anubis looked at the jet sled, and then brought his axe down on it. Or tried to anyway, as the sled flew up and zipped over him. He glanced behind him, and then turned back to Valerie, who was getting back up and yanking her damaged mask off. With a snarling yell, she swiftly grabbed at her belt and then sent several whirring discs down the hallway, the razor blades spinning in at Anubis.

They all splintered on him, not making a mark. Anubis glanced down, as if he was amazed Valerie still didn't get the hint.

How much of the supposed hint she didn't get was made apparent as Anubis looked up again to find Valerie right in front of him, leaping up with a yell and snapping off a kick at Anubis' face.

Anubis swatted her to the ground, and then lifted his axe up to cleave her in two…only to find it catching on the ceiling. As he yanked it free, Valerie flipped up and kicked Anubis in the chest…and then hopped away, yelling and clutching her ankle. Anubis chuckled at this fact, and then tried to swing the axe in a roundhouse swing…only to find the axe catching on the walls and slowing down the blow, allowing Valerie to duck under it, as she snapped out her wrist lasers and fired twin blasts at Anubis' face.

Anubis blocked them with one hand, and then with a yell he stomped his foot, sending out a shockwave that threw Valerie off her feet and caused the walls and ceiling to crumble around him. Only Valerie's agility saved her from being crushed by rubble.

"You may be a natural at battling ghosts, girl, but you haven't a hope here. Leave now and I will have no reason to destroy you."

Valerie stared from where she crouched/knelt on the ground.

Then she reached behind her and grabbed up her Ectogrenade launcher.

"Then I guess I'll give you a reason!" Valerie said, and fired her last rockets into Anubis. Then she noticed how hot the barrel on her weapon was: it needed a brief cool-down. She slipped it into her backpack as her eyes watched the dust.

"So you do wish to die?" Anubis' voice came from the smoke. "Then your desire shall come swiftly!"

A powerful blast flew from the smoke, and Valerie leapt up to dodge it…and then found the axe swinging at her as Anubis charged in and slashed.

And Valerie fired the last of her wrist rockets at the spirit, the explosion throwing her backwards and out of range of the slash, but the missiles didn't slow down Anubis at all, as he continued to charge down the hallway at her, swinging the axe back as Valerie hit the ground, flipped backwards…and then Anubis was on her. Her axe tore through the wall on Valerie's right as she dodged, and then twin ghost shields sprang up on her arms, oval spheres of protection as Anubis swung back and impacted them, the slice's collision driving Valerie back but not harming her.

"Thank you Clone Wars." Valerie said, and leapt in, kicking and punching, using her in-close range to keep Anubis from swinging his axe and blocking his attempted hand blows with her shields as she kicked and punched at his joints and crotch.

But they were as heavily armored as the rest of him: there were no weak points to exploit. But Valerie wasn't going to let that get her down, as she whirled away from another punch…too far away. She was now in range of the axe.

And Anubis promptly introduced her to it, as he swung the axe up and brought it down to once again try and cleave Valerie in twain.

Except she wasn't standing there any more: she'd zipped back in inside Anubis' range and under his arm, and as he swung down she grabbed him and yanked with all her might, using Anubis' own momentum and every bit of leverage she could to hurl his body over her.

Anubis went.

As his hand grabbed her by her vest.

"AHHHHH!" Valerie screamed, as instead of being thrown Anubis flipped and landed on his feet and instead threw Valerie, tossing her through a door in the hallway. He called his axe, dropped in order to do the move, back to him, and headed after Valerie.

Valerie pulled herself from a pile of rotten wood: Anubis had tossed her into an old conference room of sorts. Damn. She didn't have much ammo left. The beating she'd given Anubis would have left twenty different ghosts all begging for mercy, but _he _wasn't showing a bruise.

Well then, he was overdue for one, as she looked up and saw him, the strange look of pity and arrogance on his face regarding her attempts, and her rage washed over her as she leapt up, her backpack lasers snapping out and firing off another blast.

Anubis swung his axe out, and another blade of energy flew from it, tearing through the blasts and dissipating them immediately before cleaving Valerie's cannons off above her head. Her eyes widened.

"I told you. You wouldn't listen. Now you shall suffer the consequences." Anubis said, as he swung the axe back.

Valerie got her shields up in front of her as the second axe energy blade flew. They took the blast…but not the impact, as Valerie found herself hurled backwards, her shields shorting out as she crashed through the wall behind her. The only thing that kept the collision from crushing her body to paste was that Anubis' first blade energy attack had flown on after slicing her cannons and already torn through the structure, which was doubly weakened by decades of neglect, but it still hurt like hell as Valerie crashed through and found herself back outside on the stairs, bouncing a few times before coming to rest.

Blood began running down from a cut on her forehead, and she coughed and groaned, trying to fight through the pain so she could get up and fight some more.

"Valerie."

The voice was familiar, bitterly so, and Valerie looked up to see Danny standing there. Oh, this was too much. First that damn Anubis handed her her ass, and then the goddamn ghost boy was there, probably out of some misguided sense to save her. Well, she didn't need rescuing!

"Go away!" She snapped. "I don't need your help you bastard! I'm just warming up!" Valerie said, as she tried to fight to her feet.

"But…"

"Cram it!" Valerie snapped.

And strangely, the ghost boy listened to her, as he turned and flew away. Valerie would have been surprised, had she not immediately found a new source for her attention: Anubis was coming.

She looked at her aching arms, and muttered a curse under her breath. Taking that slash had shorted out the whole system: all her wrist devices were useless to her now. Well, she still had her gun, as she pulled it out…as the motion send a fresh wash of pain through her, to the point where she almost collapsed.

"Look at you." Anubis said disdainfully. "In agony. Nigh-helpless. And you could all make it go away if you simply surrendered and left. Will you surrender?"

Valerie gave Anubis a very rude gesture.

"Of course not. You insist on fighting. And why? To deny my rightful judgment of a psychotic and evil force to the fate she had earned, due to some silly need to show mercy? My astonishment at your species' fatuousness grows by the minute."

And then a very loud cracking noise sounded behind Anubis. He arched an eyebrow, and then turned to see what it was.

"Then I guess we haven't got gotten it through your head!" Danny yelled, as the pillar came toppling down on Anubis. Danny's previous impacts with the pillar had weakened it enough for Danny to smash the top with a few painful blows (his ribs had killed him at first, but after focusing on it and trying to will the pain to go down he actually found it going down and vanishing. He'd figure out why later) and then when Valerie and Anubis had come back out Danny had gotten behind it and shoved with all his might, sending it falling down on Anubis' head with a thunderous crack.

Valerie stared, and then she saw that Danny had flown down next to her. Her eyes narrowed.

"I thought I told you…"

"Save it Valerie!" Danny yelled. "I know you don't like me, and you probably even have a good reason not to, but now is not the time! If we want to have any chance of beating him, we have to work together! We did it once, we can do it again, and after that you can kick my ass all you want, but for now, save it!"

Valerie glared at Danny, more at the fact of being silenced then any dislike of what he said.

"…All right. We settle this afterward. For now, we settle on him." Valerie said, as she yanked out a drained power battery on her gun and snapped in another one.

"And you better be able to keep up." Valerie added.

"Keep up…?" Came a voice from the dust cloud, as a shadowy form was revealed.

Anubis. He was still standing…and still facing the other way.

And Danny realized, with a sinking feeling, what that meant. It meant that Danny had dropped ten tons of thick stone on Anubis' head…and he hadn't budged an inch.

Indeed, as Anubis turned around, Danny could see his horn-ears were unmarred. What did he have to do to actually do some DAMAGE?

"You speak as if you have accomplished something! In reality, there is NOTHING you can do!" Anubis declared, as if he had read Danny's mind. "I am Anubis, the Spirit of Judgment! I am invincible! No one who has ever opposed me has survived! You are no DIFFERENT!" Anubis proclaimed, and then he slashed out his axe again and sent another deadly blade of energy flying at the pair.

Danny grabbed Valerie and flew up, both of them dodging the blade as it sliced through all the remaining pillars behind the two, and then Danny tossed Valerie into the air, as her jet sled swooped under her and grabbed her even as it unleashed a giant cloud of red smoke, obscuring the two.

Anubis floated up, his eyes alert.

Valerie flew from the smoke, heading straight for Anubis, as he slashed his axe at her, Valerie dodging the blow…and then turning intangible, along with her sled, and flying through Anubis. Caught off guard by Danny's overshadowing trick, Anubis whirled around and got a ectogrenade launcher ectoblast in the chest, even as Danny, out of Valerie's body now, flew in after the attack and fired off several punches into Anubis, driving him back a bit. Anubis didn't retreat long though, and Danny had to fly away from Anubis' attempted grab even as he fired his own blast into Anubis' chest. Anubis' eyes narrowed, and he threw his axe into the air and fired four blasts from his hands in quick succession. Danny and Valerie dodged them all and returned fire with their own spray of blasts and shots, consuming Anubis in explosions again. Anubis' axe came down again…and fell past the smoke cloud where he was, impaling into the ground.

Valerie lowered her gun, even as Danny flew around her, the two of them exchanging a grim nod at the fact of the uncaught axe.. Danny called more ghost energy to his hands, even as Valerie kept her gun ready and her finger poised over the trigger.

The smoke cleared.

Anubis was unharmed yet again, but his cool look of disdain and disinterest had faded, replaced by an intense gaze that wasn't quite anger but was getting there. His cloak was in rags, and with a quick gesture he reached up and snapped off the chain that held it to him, letting it fall to the ground.

"Well, it appears together you are more effective then apart. I must admit the ones I condemned have almost always been alone, their greed for power and their crimes having driven off all but the most fanatical devotees." Anubis said, as he raised his right arm.

And a few seconds later, his crushing morning star staff, the Staff of Judgment for a lack of a better term, floated back up to his hand.

"But this matters not! You are both still doom…!"

Danny and Valerie blasted Anubis together before he could finish his sentence.

The deadly orbs of stone flew out of the smoke a second later, Danny and Valerie barely managing to dodge them as they split up. Danny went around Anubis, while Valerie went above him, as Danny swooped in and tried to attack Anubis while his staff was extended…and learned the hard way that that wasn't the only way the staff could hurt him as Anubis slammed the rod part of it across Danny's face, staggering him, and with a powerful kick Anubis send Danny spiraling down towards the ground. Valerie swooped in like a dive bomber, firing her jet sled guns and ectogrenade launcher, and when Anubis recalled his staff and fired it off again at her, Valerie whirled away from the attack and swooped past Anubis…

As Anubis turned and struck her with a powerful blast attack with his free hand, sending Valerie and her jet sled lurching across the sky, as Anubis recalled his stone orbs and whirled as he lashed out with them again. The jet sled took the brunt of the impact, smashing it to pieces and putting Valerie in free fall.

To her credit, she didn't scream, as Danny flew up and caught her, breaking her fall enough so she could jump down to the ground without suffering injury: she wasn't going to be carried down like some damsel in distress. Anubis was down a second later, and without a word Valerie pressed a button on her belt and roller blades shot from her boots, rockets boosting her (with the blade keeping remarkable traction on the very rough ground) at Anubis as she fired a spray of shots from her gun. Anubis's crushing retaliatory swing missed her, and then Danny was there as he managed to finally land a blow on Anubis' exposed face, and then another one, before Anubis grabbed him and slammed him into the ground. Valerie zipped back, firing again, as Anubis swung out his staff once more, the orbs missing Valerie again as Danny flipped away and fired a few ecto-blasts. Anubis took them as he had all the others and zapped his eye beams at Danny, who dodged them and fired a twin-handed blast that exploded on Anubis, as Valerie zipped by again…

And a blast of power flew from Anubis ear-horns and blew up the ground in front of Valerie, causing her skates to catch as she flew through the air and right into Anubis' arm as he slammed it into her and sent her crashing down into the ground, so fast it was done before Danny could even react, and at the same time he had recalled his morning star orbs, and even as Danny leapt to attack again he was swinging them at Danny. Danny jumped over them…and leapt right into Anubis' eye blast, and if that wasn't bad enough, he proceeded to fall into Anubis' grasp as he released his staff and seized the rising and dazed Valerie with his other hand.

With a sickening crack, he slammed their heads together, before backhanded both of them at the same time and sending them both flying across the stairs again.

"Pathetic." Anubis said, calling his staff back. "One, two, ten thousand, I have never been denied children. You fight, and suffer, for no reason at all. Why do you insist on doing it the hard way?"

"Because…yours…is not…THE RIGHT WAY…" Danny managed to spit out. His vision was swimming, and he had to fight turning back into his normal, human form, which would be bad for an uncountable number of reasons in this situation. He started getting up, noticing Valerie was as well. She was a tough girl, but he knew that all too well.

"Not the right way? You act as if my judgment is fallible! I am not a mortal! My will has NEVER been wrong!" Anubis snapped, getting incredibly tired of Danny's defiance.

"First time…for everything." Danny said, as he wiped more blood from his mouth. Anubis' eyes narrowed.

"Do not attribute human expressions to my mission, you foolish boy. You have no idea what you say."

"Yeah, maybe. But it's my say."

"And mine, and no amount of abuse can beat it out of me." Valerie said. Somehow, this time, she'd managed to hold onto her gun, as she brought it to bear again.

Anubis snorted in disdain.

"You only say that." Anubis said.

And he swung his staff up and down, this time aiming not at the pair but at the stairs themselves, and as the weapon struck a crack of power lanced out from the impact zone and streaked across the stairs, zipping under Danny and Valerie before they knew what had happened.

As explosive power erupted from underneath them, blasting them and throwing them into the air at the same time, and even as they screamed Anubis flew across the distance between them and lashed out, punching Valerie down the stairs, and even as she struck the ground Anubis spun around and swung his staff in an upward arc.

"I let my actions speak for me!"

The balls slammed into Danny so hard it almost felt like his skeleton was going to rip out of his body, as the body contorted from the blow, blood flying from Danny's mouth, almost as if it was happening in slow motion…

And Anubis spun and slammed the balls across Danny's body again, and he flew through the air like a bullet, crashing into the statue of Justice and shattering it to pieces, though the stone was hardy enough so that Danny stopped there instead of just flying through it, the effigy crumbling, leaving only a dagger-like column of rock, as Danny collapsed to the ground in front of it, lying on his stomach and face, not so much in pain as he was fighting passing out, fighting against it, but he was too battered, he couldn't go out, the spirit was willing but the flesh was weak…

The circles flashed over Danny, returning him to normal.

Just as Valerie was trying to get up from her blow. Her eyes went as wide as saucers.

"…Danny?" She said.

Danny's eyes fluttered open. Due to the damage exclusion between his human and ghost forms, he felt a bit better then he had before…before his eyes cleared and he saw Valerie staring at him…in shock…him. Danny Fenton.

And looking at her eyes, Danny felt his heart plunge into the abyss. No. Not like this. Not like THIS…

Anubis floated down in front of the two. Well, he'd beaten the fight out of the ghost boy, but he had a feeling that the girl wasn't quite done on her own little defiant path…she was just taking a brief detour…

"…Valerie…" Danny said, reaching out to her.

"…Oh god. GOD! How could I? Danny Fenton, Danny PHANTOM…MY GOD! How could I have not seen it? How could I have been so STUPID?" Valerie said, burying her face in one hand as all the pieces finally fit together. Danny's absences, the way the Ghost Boy always seemed to have the upper hand on her, how the Ghost Boy was always around if there was trouble at her school, their matching appearances…everything.

Danny had no idea what to say, as he pushed himself up, as Valerie agonized over what she had just learned.

"…Valerie…" He repeated.

"No!" Valerie said, looking up and cutting him off. "Don't say anything! Like you said…Danny…there's a more important thing." Valerie said, as she turned her gaze back to Anubis.

"Valerie…"

"Shut up Danny." Valerie said, and though there was anger in her voice, there was also confusion…and sadness. "I don't want to hear it. Not now…maybe not ever."

Danny had never been in a relationship before, and hence really had no idea how they went…but from the way Valerie's last words sounded, from the way they send a dagger into his heart…he had a feeling, more likely then not, that he'd just seen how one ended. After all, you couldn't build anything solid on a foundation of lies, could you?

Whatever Valerie was feeling was immediately swept away though, replaced by a new tidal wave of rage, as she glared daggers at Anubis.

"This is your fault! You…you ruined everything you bastard! Goddamn you! YOU BASTARD!" Was all Valerie could scream, as she charged at Anubis. He did not look impressed, as he raised his free arm.

"Enough of this." Anubis said, as purplish-red energy exploded on his hand. Danny's eyes widened.

"NO VALERIE! DON'T! HE'S…!"

Valerie leapt at Anubis with a battle cry, aiming her gun…

As Anubis cut loose with a gigantic blast of power, the attack utterly consuming Valerie, her battle cry turning into a scream as she flew past Danny and down the stairs, the blast exploding and blinding Danny.

"VALERIE!" He screamed.

When the dust cleared, Valerie lay on the ground, not moving, her outfit in tatters. Danny ran down and rolled her over. Not knowing what else to do, he checked for a pulse. What he found was strong…or so he thought, he wasn't a doctor. Valerie wasn't bleeding anywhere he could see, but she could have a concussion, or a spinal injury, or some kind of ghost something or other…but all Danny knew for certain was that she was hurt.

She could have turned and left, he realized. What reason did she have for staying, after what she'd learned? But she had…because she…

She believed it was more important.

"You see the consequences?" Anubis' voice came from behind him. Danny did not turn, even as his whole body went rigid. "You see the costs of defying my judgment? Do you really wish for it to go on? Have you not wasted enough time on your idiocy and blind morality?" Anubis said. "We may not have much time left Danny. The judgment must be made. So either change your mind, or…" Anubis trailed off as it washed over him.

One of Danny's hands was on the ground, and as Anubis watched he clenched it, the bare fingers digging lines into the stone.

"You…." Danny snarled.

He laid Valerie down and got up as he turned around, his eyes flashing green.

"You…YOU…**_YOU!"_** Danny screamed, and then he raised his hands and clenched them again, as with a scream a column of green power erupted around his feet, swirling up Danny and consuming him.

When it faded, Danny Phantom was back. And he didn't look any less angry, as Anubis cocked his head and looked at him. Apparently he had more in the tank then Anubis had assumed.

Not that it mattered.

"…I'll…I'll…I'll KILL YOU." Danny snarled.

"…You…will kill…me?" Anubis said, as if Danny had just declared he would turn the moon into a milkshake and the earth into fine swiss chocolate to sprinkle on it. In other words, like he didn't believe a word of it.

Danny would make a believer out of him though, as he slammed his hands together and fired off a blast of ectoplasmic power that was as big as he was, the attack striking Anubis with such force it shook the whole building, something Sam noticed inside as dust sifted down from the ceiling. What was going on? The only company she had was Sizzle, and since her orb was soundproofed now she couldn't hear anything the deranged fire spirit might be saying. Her few glances at Sizzle's orb though, seemed to indicate that Sizzle was strangely calm: she wasn't thrashing around or fighting against the orb any more. Despite all her insane bravado, maybe her close call with the burning gates had actually sobered her up to her situation. Or maybe she was so mad that Danny was technically fighting for her that she was frozen…or maybe she just was moving when Sam wasn't looking, Sam didn't know! What was going on?

Outside, there was little left of the stairs that had once lead up to the courthouse: only a giant outward facing crater in the stone structure. Danny stood there, taking deep breaths, some of his rage expended but still plenty more in reserve, just waiting for the right spark to re-ignite the flame.

"Your power is mighty, that is true boy." Came the familiar voice as the smoke cleared.

Danny couldn't believe it: while the area around him was completely destroyed, Anubis STILL didn't have a scratch on him.

"But it is also elusive and fleeting. I am fully in command of mine. It will prevail."

"SCREW YOU!" Danny yelled as he leapt forward, firing off a storm of punches at Anubis. Anubis was driven backwards as he tried to deflect all the blows, but Danny's anger caused him to overextend himself and when Anubis abruptly dodged to the side Danny flew past him…as Anubis whirled and slammed the morning star against Danny's back, sending him flying forward onto the front of the court house again, but unlike last time where the blow was absolutely devastating, Danny barely felt this one, running on high-octane rage, as he leapt up and spun around…

Only to find Anubis was thinking one move ahead, for even as Danny had been flying from the previous impact Anubis had swung back his weapon and sent it extending out, not after Danny but in a different direction, the chain stopping at a precise point, and as Danny had landed Anubis had swung the extended morning star out and around like an Olympic hammer thrower.

So when Danny had gotten up and turned around, the spin had almost been completed, as the orbs slammed into Danny's side and sent him flying, as he went smashing through the remaining pillars on the right side of the court house, causing the whole front of that side of the building to collapse into rubble on Danny's head.

Anubis flew up to where Danny had stood, retracting his orbs back to the staff.

As Danny flew from the smoke of the rubble, his outfit torn up but the rage still exploding through him, as he once again blitzed Anubis with rapid-fire punches, driving the judgment spirit back as he tried to defend himself, Danny hammering on him mercilessly and not even noticing if he was doing any damage, he was so focused in striking the blows.

Which lead to his downfall, as Anubis deflected one blow enough to rap Danny in the side of the head with the other end of his staff, and as Danny stumbled Anubis spun and kicked Danny to the side, and even as Danny flew Anubis charged up a blast on his hand and sent it exploding into Danny's back, causing Danny to go crashing through the conference room Valerie had briefly seen, through the hallway beyond, and into the room that was on the other side of the hallway, another court room, as Danny slammed into the judge's bench and was left sitting in the rubble.

"Again, not bad boy, but I've seen better." Anubis said as he followed, floating forward off the ground. "Do you still want to keep fighting? As of now all you have gained is pain and perhaps the loss of the first love of your life. It will only keep getting worse, child."

"You have no idea how right you are…" Danny growled as he pushed himself out of the wreckage. "Worse, FOR YOU!"

Danny fired a blast at Anubis: he dodged effortlessly to the side, and dodged again and again and again as Danny fired blast after blast at him before he leapt up into the air and swung his morning star down at Danny, Danny leaping backwards as the stone balls smashed a few benches and the floor to splinters and pebbles as he fired another spray of blasts, which Anubis avoided by doing an abrupt flip downwards, letting go of his staff. He landed and Danny attacked, trying a multiple-hit kick that Anubis blocked and countered by uppercutting Danny in the gut. Danny rolled with the blow though and flipped 360 degrees to fire another spray of blasts, blasts Anubis also dodged as he called his staff back to him, whirling the spheres overhead in a blur before he did a three-strike combo against Danny, Danny avoiding each attack as he fired off more blasts with each dodge…and left himself open to Anubis' horn blast, which blasted him to the ground through another bench.

"You're getting desperate with such energy expenditure child. Stop and do what is needed now, lest your heart give out."

Danny grinned fiercely.

"Energy expenditure?" He asked, as he got up and raised one hand.

And Anubis finally realized something: he hadn't heard any explosions from the missed blasts.

Because none of them had hit the walls. They had stopped after missing Anubis, and were floating all over the room, balls of ectoplasmic power.

Danny clenched his fist.

The balls closed in. This time, the blasts didn't miss their target.

The explosion shattered the whole room and sent the wall between it and the main courtroom where Sam was kept toppling down, as she shrieked in surprise.

Danny stood his ground though, breathing heavily again. That was a nice move, that one, he noted: he'd invented it for Flammadea, maybe it worked just as well on…

The giant stone ball came flying at Danny. Danny wasn't caught off guard though, and leapt up to avoid it…

He'd reacted too soon: it was only one stone ball.

The other one followed a second behind it…aimed right where Danny was leaping.

Sam's eyes widened as Danny flew into the room, though she couldn't hear his scream as he landed.

But she could definitely see what followed, as Anubis leapt into the room afterward, spinning his morning star above his head…and then sending the balls lancing down onto Danny before he could get up or move. Sam screamed as Danny was crushed into the floor by the impact, and began pounding on the sphere again, for all the good it did her.

The impacts were back to devastating, indeed it had been that way all along, but Danny was too hopped up on rage to notice, and now all the blows he hadn't absorbed, only ignored until he couldn't any more were coming back to haunt him again, as he agonized where he lay.

Which got worse as Anubis swooped down and planted a foot on Danny's chest. Danny let out a weak cry at the blow: in her sphere, Sizzle chuckled merrily. Finally, a front row seat.

"Yes boy, energy expenditure, because you can try all the tricks and subpar tactics you want, the ending is as set in stone as your body currently is! You will perform the judgment!"

"…No!" Danny said. "No means…NO!"

"You STILL defy me?" Anubis said. "What is WRONG with you? Have you gone mad? Need I release the fire spirit to bring you to your senses, as you watch her start all over again and wreck untold havoc before you once again bring her to her knees, if you even can? Or would you prefer the words of someone closer?" Anubis asked, and gestured at Sam's sphere. "I have removed the bonds, female. Tell your idiotic male companion what needs to be done, so we can stop wasting time and carry out what is needed."

The last sentence was the first thing Sam heard, though she immediately became aware of Danny's weak coughs, which just caused her to stare in horror.

"Oh come now woman, I've watched you, you've never been shy in speaking before, why start now?" Anubis asked. "Tell your male friend to snap out of his idea that anything can be accomplished by mercy! Judgment is the only answer, and it WILL be the only one. Tell him this, lest he TRULY arouse my anger." Anubis said.

Sam was silent.

"Speak woman! Do not think I will be hesitant to turn my power upon you if necessary!"

Danny's eyes popped open.

"What?" He said.

"Do not look so surprised child. I may have in some ways safeguarded her, but she is just a means to an end. If harming her is what it will take…"

Anubis felt that wave of power wash over him again, even as Sam spoke.

"Danny…" Sam said, and in that lone word she spoke volumes.

"Augh." Anubis growled in annoyance.

Danny's dual handed blast sent Anubis shooting upward through the ceiling, crashing through the upper floor and onto the floor above that, before he flipped over and landed on his feet. Danny followed him up a second later.

"So, you wish to dance this waltz again." Anubis said, sounding bored.

Danny fired a blast at Anubis' head: Anubis snapped his head to the side and it flew past it, blowing a hole in the wall beyond.

Anubis' eye blast didn't miss, as it blew Danny backwards and against the wall in the room, which was a generic office.

"You had no chance with your lady friend, and even less alone." Anubis commented, as Danny slumped to the floor. He looked up, his eyes flashing green.

"I'm NEVER alone." Danny said, as he set his legs, clenched his fists, and concentrated…

Anubis arched an eyebrow.

And Danny began to split, his body ripping apart into two separate Danny's…until about three-quarters of the way through it stopped. Danny(s) blinked, and then focused again…and sprouted a new head. Which spouted arms. Which sprouted ears.

"…Bit of advice child. Field testing a new technique is all fine and good, but if it leaves you open this long, you may as well give it up." Anubis said.

"…Give…up?" Danny said, and then let out a final shriek, as the head with the excess limbs vanished and the split completed itself, leaving two Dannys floating side by side. Finally, he'd done it. If he'd been in a less serious battle, he might have celebrated. At the moment, he (both of him) just wanted to kick ass.

"Hmmmph. This changes nothing. The dice have already rolled…" Anubis said.

"SNAKE EYES!" Danny(s) yelled, as one fired a concentrated blast and the other rapid-fire ones, as Anubis vanished in explosions again.

"You think doubling the amount of targets I have will change anything?" Anubis said as he flew from the smoke. "It didn't help your friend!"

Anubis' morning star smashed down where the Dannys were, as each dodged away…and then flew back, each grabbing one ball of the staff before Anubis could retract him.

"GO GHOST STINGERS!"

The energy traveled up through the orbs and into Anubis, shocking him with twice the power.

It didn't even raise a grunt from him, as he looked at the arm holding the staff, which was now wisping smoke.

"Interesting. It almost tickled."

Both Dannys jumped him, weaving in and out with punches and kicks, once again driving Anubis back, but twice the number of blows made the same number of dents: none. Anubis' armor remained pristine, as he fended off the storm of attacks.

Anubis' mistake was trying his same trick twice, as he grabbed for one of the Dannys.

Danny 1 just went intangible, and while he still felt something, it was much less then with the orb.

And it allowed Danny 2 to zip around Anubis and ram his shoulder into Anubis' knees.

Anubis toppled to the ground, as Danny 2 rolled away from him, even as Danny 1 jumped forward and thrust out his arms.

"Will this?"

The blast carved through both floors between Anubis, a spray of bright green that caught Sam's attention, though she had no idea what it was.

When the dust cleared on the upper floors, Anubis was gone.

"It can't be that easy." Danny 2 said.

"Yeah, but where did he…"

The floor exploded from behind the two Dannys, and they whirled and attacked, blasting beams of ectoplasmic power…at Anubis' floating judgment staff.

As Anubis floated up behind the pair through the same hole they had been looking through a moment before.

One Danny didn't even get a chance to fully turn around before Anubis slammed his fist across his face and then spun and kicked Danny into the wall on the left. The other Danny sprang to attack, but no sooner had he thrown a few punches them Anubis grabbed both his hands and violently kneed him in the gut, driving the wind out of him as Anubis grabbed him, violently slammed him on the ground, and then lifted him up again.

"Maybe you need to study your basic mortal mathematics more, but zero divided by anything IS STILL ZERO!" Anubis snapped, and hurled the other Danny across the room as well, the two crashing together and merging back into one, an experience that dazed Danny…and left him wide open to Anubis grabbing his staff and sending the morning star slicing across the room, the gigantic balls smashing Danny through yet another wall.

"ENOUGH." Anubis declared to himself.

Danny bounced across the floor in the new room a few times before flipping unsteadily to his feet. The exhaustion was already creeping back in, like a junkie whose fix lasted less and less time with each drug use, but Danny refused to admit it. He had to stop Anubis, stop him because…why?

…He didn't know. Except that in his heart, he was doing the right thing.

And the saying 'No good deed goes unpunished' was especially apropos here, as Anubis came crashing through the wall…not in front of Danny, but from Danny's side, which allowed Anubis to get around Danny's guard and collide with him, sending him flying before Anubis grabbed Danny by the hair and shoved him forward, ramming Danny's face into the nearest wall and dragging him along it face-first for several feet before Anubis hurled him onward, Danny tearing through the wall a bit more before he crashed through another. His face a mass of cuts, Danny tried to turn around…as Anubis crashed through the wall after him and fired off another blast of power into him.

The explosion blew down every single wall in the room.

Danny collapsed to the floor, his outfit even more shredded, as he tried to put together a defense, a plan, anything, as Anubis flew up and lanced his morning star down…but not at Danny. Instead, the ball crashed through the floor in a perfect vertical drop…and exploded out from under Danny, sending him flying up and crashing through the ceiling with a cry. Anubis retracted the staff and flew through the ceiling after Danny, who was still spinning in the cold night air…as Anubis zapped up to him and flipped backwards, kicking Danny even higher into the sky with a mid-air somersault kick, and even as Danny tried to figure out which way was up Anubis corrected himself and flew after Danny, his large form passing him just as Danny managed to stop spinning…

And then Anubis crashed down on him, feet first, right into Danny's chest as Anubis rocketed downward.

He smashed Danny through every floor in the courthouse there was, finally smashing down once more through the ceiling of the main courtroom and smashing Danny into the ground with an impact that knocked over and blew away everything in the room except the prison spheres. Sam screamed once more, and then the room filled with dust.

"…Danny!" She began to call after several seconds. "Dannnnnny!"

Danny could only faintly hear her: his vision and senses were mostly composed of darkness and pain at the moment. Anubis had driven him into the ground so hard he had made a small crater there as well, and he was still standing on Danny, one foot planted on his chest, as he looked down at the Halfa.

"Is this enough? Have I finally beaten it out of you?" Anubis said. "Are you ready now boy? Do you really want to see if your limits of suffering can be stretched any further? Or will you finally realize the truth in my words? The judgment is made, and you must carry it out, Danny Phantom. There IS no other way. Now accept it!"

Danny looked with hazy eyes up at Anubis. He didn't have any anger left, any power or defiance. He hurt too much for it.

But…that didn't change his mind.

"No." Danny whispered.

For the first time, Anubis finally looked stupefied.

"…Why?" Was all he said.

"…You…wouldn't…understand…" Danny wheezed.

Anubis stared down at Danny some more.

And then he relinquished his foot on Danny's chest.

"Danny?" Sam asked, looking down at her fallen love…yes, he was her love. It was finally clear. When she looked at all Danny had suffered, and yet he STILL refused to send Sizzle to hell…she realized she loved him, everything about him, the nobility that seemed so foolish to everyone…except perhaps, those who mattered.

Or perhaps that was wishful thinking, as Anubis stepped back, planting his staff down in the ground…and as Sam watched the orbs shrank back into the scales they had once been. Anubis looked deep in thought.

"…Not many have stood to the end."

Anubis turned and started walking away, and as Sam watched a new cloak suddenly seemed to spring from nowhere, settling out from his shoulders to replace the one Anubis had discarded. His armor remained undamaged in the slightest: it wasn't even all that dirty.

"Of all I judge, those who gloated over their power, screamed their defiance, declared their godhood and immortality…of all those who I broke down until there was nothing left, their pride shattered, their courage gone, their boasting words reduced to bleating cries for mercy…not many have clung to their beliefs. When the gates yawned open, and their sins came to be paid…not many still looked at me and declared what they were in the start. And in such a thing, you are one of a kind, Danny Phantom. You defy not my judgment, but the judgment of another, your worst enemy…all because you cannot live with the concept of her punishment. And why? I don't know. I thought you were just a fool…but I see that you are much more then that. And it simply won't do." Anubis said, and sighed. "I did not want it to come to this. I hoped you would see the truth in my words. But even lying there, a broken shell, you still say no. And as long as you do, your connection will keep Sizzle here. And if your enemies release her…then her own judgment, on you and your world, would be as terrible as anything I could do, and more. I tried to have you see this, but you will not. That leaves only one opinion. If I cannot perform the judgment with the connection, and you will not see the light…then I have no choice. I must sever the connection."

Sam had been uncertain of just what Anubis was saying until the last sentence, until he said it and held out his hand.

A few seconds later, Anubis' axe flew through the door and into his hands. Then Sam understand.

"AHHHH! DANNY! GET UP! GET AWAY!" Sam screamed. "RUN! RUN!"

"He cannot, child. He is far too battered for that." Anubis said.

Danny wasn't sure what was going on, as his body was pretty much stuck in the act of staring at the ceiling, but Sam's screams conveyed more then enough urgency, as he tried to get up…and found, like Anubis said, he could not. His body was too weak, too worn out to move in any more then tiny muscle jerks. He couldn't even summon the power to float up or turn intangible.

"I didn't want it to be this way Danny. You have forced my hand." Anubis said. "You should have listened. I am the spirit of judgment. I make no errors, I make no changes. My word, and my will, is as absolute as life and death itself." Anubis said as he stopped in front of Danny.

Danny managed to tilt his head a bit, and he saw the axe, and he realized that this had just turned into a full three part act. Anubis was judge, Danny was to be jury…and now Anubis was executioner.

"It will be painless, I guarantee that." Anubis said. "But that is all. Your species claims survival of the fittest…in the end you failed that test, Danny Phantom. Take that knowledge with you, wherever you may go."

Danny furiously tried to move again, but he just…couldn't…even with…

Anubis swung the axe up.

"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!" Sam screamed.

And as Danny realized this was it, twin tears leaked from his eyes…

"…I'm sorry…" Danny said, to no one in particular and everyone.

The axe swung down.

And was intercepted by a glowing katana blade.

"Dishonorable dog! You would strike an opponent dead while he is down and helpless over a mere disagreement of opinion?"

Anubis looked in surprise at the new arrival.

"Who the devil are you?"

"YOU SHALL KNOW!" Minamoto Ieyasu yelled as he shifted his weight and yanked his blade upward upward, doing a complicated spinning maneuver that shoved Anubis' axe away and allowed Minamoto to kick him in the chest, driving him back.

"…Tom?" Danny said. He couldn't believe it. The samurai ghost had come out of nowhere and saved his bacon.

"I am Minamoto Ieyasu, child! Do try and remember that! And that goes for you as well, dog!" Minamoto said. "This boy and I have a battle to settle! I will not allow some ignominious cretin to rob me of it over such a low matter of a difference of opinion!"

"I AM THE SPIRIT OF JUDGMENT, YOU HALF-WITTED REMNANT!" Anubis roared. "MY SENTENCE CARRIES MORE WEIGHT THEN A MILLION YEARS OF YOUR MORONIC CODE!"

"I have heard nothing of you! And even if I had, it would not matter! In such words, you show how low your so called sentence really is! It knows nothing of honor and respect! A great duel should be over the better warrior, not over the attempt to force one's will on another! Perhaps that is the way many battles are fought, but as long as I exist, it is not how this battle will end, and it will not be how you slay this boy!"

"You defy me as well?" Anubis snapped.

"Defy now, defeat soon!"

"You're as foolish as him." Anubis said. "I am much more then a mere ghost or hybrid, meddler. You mean nothing to me. I can strike you down without effort. And do not think your already being dead saves you, samurai. I can cut you down as if you were alive, and this time there WILL be nothing left! Now STAND ASIDE!"

"I will NOT." Minamoto said, as he briefly spun his sword and pointed it at Anubis. "This boy and I will have our duel, and if you still insist on his destruction for your dishonorable will, you will have to answer to my blade!"

"Enough delay." Anubis said, and fired energy from his eyes.

Minamoto deflected the blast on his sword, sending it flying away from him. Anubis was clearly surprised by this.

"You strike from a distance, without any attempt to battle as a warrior! You disgust me! I shall cleave your head from your shoulders for this and all your insults!" Minamoto said, and leapt to attack Anubis.

Anubis got his axe in front of him to ward off the blows, as Danny watched for a few seconds and then tried to get up again. This time, he barely managed it, as he saw Minamoto's incredible blade skill clash with Anubis' power…and Danny had a sick feeling which one would come out on top.

"No…Minamoto! Don't! He's some high level spirit! He's too powerful! You can't beat him! This is my fight!" Danny yelled.

"No, Danny, it is now OUR fight! And I do not care if he is the hand holding up the strings of all existence! Power matters not! Only skill!" Minamoto said, and then he actually seemed to give weight to his belief as he drove Anubis back more.

Danny watched, stunned. It was almost as if Anubis was retreating from Minamoto…but that was impossible. What did the samurai have that he didn't? Was it because he was all ghost? Because Anubis hadn't watched him? Or was it because…

"MINAMOTO! LOOK OUT!" Danny screamed.

It was a setup.

As Minamoto swung his sword down, seemingly driving Anubis to one knee…as Anubis took one hand off his axe and blew on it, a black flame of some kind flying from his hand and into Minamoto's face, and as the samurai recoiled Anubis surged back up, shoving the katana blade the ghost wielded up and away and then spun…

"NO!"

The axe bit deep into Minamoto's side and chest, almost cutting him in half, as the samurai ghost made a noise of surprise and pain. Faint green ichor leaked from the wound, as Danny watched in horror.

"Actually, you imprudent vestige of a lost cause, power is all that matters in the end. Skill, honor…meaningless trappings. All they lead to is exactly what you are in your last moments: pointless sacrifice."

Minamoto's eyes looked down at the deadly wound…and then they returned to Anubis' face, their fierceness not dampening but actually intensifying.

"Not…ENTIRELY!"

And Minamoto stabbed his sword down, piercing into Anubis' axe before a gigantic blast consumed the two warriors, causing Danny to recoil.

"Tom…" Danny said, looking at the smoke…and then he was aware of something landing at his feet. He looked down.

Minamoto's katana.

Danny knelt down to look at it…and hence was immensely startled when Minamoto's face swam out of nowhere. But it was no longer attached to his body: it was part of some kind of vaporous green mist…and the features were already beginning to fade.

"…Danny…child…I fear we will not be able to settle our battle…" Minamoto whispered.

"Wait wait, hang on, there must be…"

"You…cannot do anything. I was recently…dispersed…I sought you too soon after I had re-gathered myself, my form…was not fully reincarnated…and with the wound the dog struck…I cannot hold myself together any more…I will cease to exist…"

"…No…" Danny said.

"…If…I do not do…what I do now. Danny…I am going to join my sword. It will be the only remains of what I was…blame not yourself…I may not come to…the end I sought…but my blade will remain…I know it…will be used…by someone whose soul is as sharp as it…use it…child…strike down the so-called judgment spirit…for what we had…what you still held…even in the face of hell itself…"

And with that Minamoto faded completely, the mist sinking into the katana and vanishing. Within two seconds, it was totally gone.

"It just continues on and on, doesn't it?" Anubis said, and Danny looked up.

The explosion had cleared, revealing an unharmed Anubis, though his axe was destroyed. He looked at it and then tossed it away.

"You defy me, and you lose. How much have you already lost, Danny Phantom? You, your friends, your family, your would be love…even your respected opponents, all have suffered for your defiance. Is it worth it all, Danny Phantom? For HER?" Anubis said, pointing at Sizzle.

Danny glanced back at the fire spirit, and then looked back at Anubis.

"…This isn't about her any more, Anubis." Danny said. "This is about YOU and ME. What you've done to me…and believe me, my 'defiance' is the least of your problems." Danny said, as he reached down and took Minamoto's blade up, standing to his feet, which clearly surprised Anubis.

"You rise?"

"Yes." Danny said, and pointed the sword at Anubis. "AND YOU'RE GOING DOWN."

Anubis stared at Danny for a few more seconds, and then he shook his head.

"I have absorbed virtually all knowledge in my divine mission…words from one your poets occur to me now." Anubis said as he reached behind him. "'There is sorrow enough in the natural way…why do we always arrange for more?'"

And Anubis pulled a new weapon from his back, a weapon whose blade snapped out and expanded. It was a sword of his own, a sword that was bigger then Danny himself.

"If you continue on, Danny Phantom, there is no turning back. I WILL kill you. And do not delude yourself that you can do the same. You cannot kill what was never alive to begin with. All you can do is hope to survive its wrath. Stand down and accept my judgment Danny, or my wrath will prove to be beyond your survival."

The two stared at each other.

"You know…the words are different, as are the motives, but you know who said the same thing to me?" Danny said, and pointed behind him. "Her."

Anubis arched an eyebrow, not sure what Danny meant.

"So tell me Anubis…you think you'll be next to her in your own sphere next time?"

Anubis understood that well enough, and his eyes flashed with rage, as the entire building began to shake, as various colors of power swirled up around him.

Danny stood there, sword in hand, and though he didn't see it Sam did, as greenish-white energy began swirling around Danny as well. She'd seen this once before. She had a rough idea what it meant.

But she still had no idea if Danny was going to survive.

A life, so to speak, had already ended.

And before it was done, another would as well.

_To Be Concluded_


End file.
